Extracorporeal Photochemotherapy (Photopheresis) (CPB 0241, reviewed 2026-04-13)
Summary
Aetna considers extracorporeal photochemotherapy (photopheresis, ECP) medically necessary for erythrodermic variants of cutaneous T cell lymphoma, acute cardiac allograft rejection refractory to standard immunosuppressive drug treatment, bronchiolitis obliterans rejection in lung transplants that is refractory to immunosuppressive drug treatment, rejection of other solid organ transplants as a last resort, and graft-versus-host disease after an allogeneic bone marrow or stem cell transplant that is refractory to standard immunosuppressive drug treatment. Aetna considers photopheresis experimental, investigational, or unproven for many other conditions, including atopic dermatitis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, systemic sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes. Prophylaxis of graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is also listed as experimental, investigational, or unproven.
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