RESEARCHERS in Ireland and the UK have worked together to create a new tool which will help spot a rare form of blood cancer which shows up on the skin.
The team based at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), who worked with collaborators in Britain, created a “simple but powerful diagnostic tool”, which they believe will “change a patient’s life in the diagnosis of a type of blood cancer that shows up on the skin”.
Inspired by how the ‘ABCDE’ rule revolutionised melanoma awareness, they hope their mew diagnostic tool, which they have called the ‘A–F Think MF’ rule, will transform how doctors approach persistent rashes, reminding them to consider lymphoma sooner.
“Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL), particularly mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS), MF/SS are rare types of lymphoma which can be difficult to spot in their early stages because they closely resemble common skin problems like eczema or psoriasis,” the team explained.
“Many patients spend several years seeking answers before the correct diagnosis is made, often after being treated for other skin conditions,” they add.
“This delay creates stress and uncertainty for patients, making it harder to make treatment decisions and possibly affecting their outcomes as well.
“Because MF/SS is rare and often mimics benign skin conditions, it is commonly overlooked.
“The main problem is the long delay to diagnosis.
“Patients endure uncertainty and inappropriate treatments, and if MF/SS is not recognised, they may be inadvertently treated for a benign skin condition in ways that could actually be harmful.
“Researchers wanted to create a simple, memorable way to improve early recognition and shorten the diagnostic delay.”
The research was a collaboration between dermatologists from Trinity College Dublin/Tallaght University Hospital, and colleagues from the NHS hospital trusts Birmingham, Royal Devon, Sheffield, and Salford Royal.
It has recently been published in the journal British Journal of Dermatology.
There are 15- 45 new cases of MF/SS each year in Ireland.
“The numbers mirror international rates, but the rarity makes awareness even more crucial,” a TCD spokesperson said.
“This work addresses one of the biggest challenges in cutaneous lymphoma care – the long delay to diagnosis,” Dr. Kevin Molloy, Lead Author, Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, said.
“By proposing a simple, memorable tool, we aim to change the way doctors think about persistent skin rashes and help improve the diagnostic delay, ensuring patients are considered for the right diagnosis earlier,” he added.
“Just as the ABCDE rule transformed melanoma awareness, our A–F ‘Think MF’ acronym has the potential to raise awareness and improve the care and quality of life for people living with this rare type of lymphoma.”