Evolving Therapy of Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma: 2010 and beyond

The peripheral T-cell lymphomas are a rare, heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas which have an aggressive clinical course. Treatment approaches have traditionally been similar to those of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, but outcomes have been inferior. Novel approaches involving agents and pathways developed from a better understanding of the biology of the diseases have led to therapeutic advances. The introduction of new agents, including antifolates, immunoconjugates, histone deacetylase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, nucleoside analogs, proteasome inhibitors, and signaling inhibitors have improved outcomes for patients with relapsed and refractory disease and are being incorporated into strategies for first-line therapy. Stem cell transplantation remains a potentially curative option for a subset of patients.