PEG-Asparaginase Single-Agent Rescue in an Advanced Case of Monomorphic Epitheliotropic Intestinal T Cell Lymphoma

Abstract

MEITL is a very rare and highly aggressive peripheral T-cell lymphoma with poor prognosis and for which there is no standard treatment. Patients with relapsed/refractory disease have few treatment options and many still die of disease progression. Here we report the case of a 65-year-old woman affected by MEITL, progressing after initial treatment with an anthracycline-based chemotherapy and surgery, who received single-agent PEG-asparaginase salvage therapy at our institution. The treatment proved to be rapidly effective in controlling the disease and its associated paraneoplastic features. Nevertheless, toxicity was high and the patient died due to a treatment-related complication. The case we described brings new evidences on the effectiveness of PEG-asparaginase therapy in MEITL patients. Whether PEGasparaginase should be included in the treatment course of MEITL patients could be the subject of future studies.