Background: Tumor stage mycosis fungoides (MF) is a subtype of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Tumor stage MF is rarely curable. Treatment is aimed towards controlling the disease and minimizing side effects from therapy.

Objective: To characterize clinicopathologic features of tumor stage MF and the impact of clinical characteristics and treatment modalities on patient outcome.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 39 patients with tumor stage MF followed at Vanderbilt University between July 1995 and July 2010.

Results: The median age of diagnosis was 61 years (IQR: 54-70). Sixty-nine percent of the patients were male (27/39). The median follow-up time was 13.6 months (IQR: 5.5-35.9). Among the patients younger than 60 years at the time of initial diagnosis (n = 19), median overall survival (OS) was 7.0 years (95% CI: 2.1-17.9), compared with 3.3 years (95% CI: 2.4-9.3) in patients who were 60 years or older at initial diagnosis. Ten patients with T1/T2 stage at diagnosis had median OS of 5.0 years (95% CI 3.2-7.0). Twenty-eight patients with T3 stage at diagnosis had median OS of 5.8 years (95% CI 2.4-14.2). Median OS for patients with large cell transformation (LCT) and without LCT was 3.3 and 7.7 years, respectively.

Limitations: This is a retrospective study with the bias of a tertiary-care referral center.

Conclusion: Although LCT and older age at diagnosis were not statistically significant negative prognostic indicators of OS, there was a trend towards statistical significance for LCT. Clinical stage at diagnosis may not affect OS in patients who develop tumor stage MF