[ LIVING WITH LYMPHOMA ]
THE TOXIC COST
OF CANCER
Cancer is one of the costliest conditions to treat today in the United States. With outcomes among patients with lymphoma improving, managing costs related to the diagnosis and treatment of their disease is a major concern. In 2005, Anita Jones noticed dry patches of skin developing on her face, including her neck and nose. Months later, after having seen three different dermatologists, the then 47-year-old from New York was diagnosed with lymphoma. “My dermatologist told me it was lymphoma, but when he said it, I never thought it was cancer,� says Jones. Jones was diagnosed with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a rare and incurable type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that appears on the skin. Symptoms for CTCL include skin patches, plaques, tumors or a reddening of the skin called erythroderma. Many patients with CTCL may experience an initial misdiagnosis due to CTCL skin lesions mimicking the look of other skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.
PULSE | WINTER EDITION 2020
