Diseases

Cutaneous Lymphoma

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Cutaneous lymphomas are a distinct subset of non-hodgkin'slymphoma. They are cancers of lymphocytes (white blood cells) that primarily involve the skin.

SYMPTOMS

Patch: flat, red, scaly patches that may initially be mistaken for eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis.
Plaques: thick raised lesions that may look like a scab.
Tumours: raised bumps, which may or may not ulcerate (break down).
Itching: a common characteristic.

CAUSES

Cancers can be caused by dna changes that turn on oncogenes or turn off tumor suppressor genes. Some people inherit dna mutations (changes) from a parent that increase their risk of developing some types of cancer. But lymphoma of the skin is not one of the cancer types often caused by inherited mutations.