Mycosis Fungoides Cooperative Study

During the last three years, a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary effort to evaluate the diagnosis and therapy of mycosis fungoides has been developing. Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the National Program for Dermatology, the study began with a year's grant to "examine the feasibility and likelihood of success" of such a multi-disciplinary effort. The second year was the planning phase and the present is the pilot phase. Methods and forms have been prepared to assure uniformity of histological criteria for the diagnosis of mycosis fungoides and to define the clinical extent of disease before and after therapy. Patients will be stratified into numerous subgroups of disease, using a modification of the Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) system used in many solid tumors and some lymphomas (Fig 1). Crucial to the quality of the data collected is a multi-disciplinary mycosis fungoides clinic at each center organized around a principal investigator, with attendance by designated