Inclusion Criteria

- INCLUSION CRITERIA:

1. Patients must have a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of CTCL based on a skin
biopsy, utilizing standard histological criteria based on cytological,
architectural, and immunophenotypic findings. In cases with equivocal
histological features, the diagnosis may be verified or confirmed through the
use of clonal T-cell gamma gene rearrangement, as detected by PCR amplification
and primer sets specific for the T-cell receptor gamma chain genes.

2. Patients must have early stage CTCL (Stage IA, IB, or IIA as defined by TNM
staging system).

3. Patients must:

1. be age greater than or equal to 18 years.

2. have evaluable disease.

3. have a performance status of ECOG 0-1.

4. be either on no therapy or only on topical therapy for early stage CTCL.
Patients must have stopped light therapy (i.e. PUVA, UVB) for at least 2
weeks prior to the use of study medication. Patients must have stopped
topical therapies (i.e. corticosteroids or nitrogen mustard) to designated
target sites or areas to be treated with study medication for at least 2
weeks prior to the use of study medication. (Topical therapies for CTCL may
be continued to non-adjacent, non-target lesions while on protocol.)
Patients may have received other HDACI therapy but must have stopped
systemic therapy 4 weeks prior to use of study medication.

5. be able to give written informed consent.

6. be willing to return to the National Cancer Institute for follow-up.

4. Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate
contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to
study entry and for the duration of study participation. Should a woman become
pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she
should inform her treating physician immediately. The effects of romidepsin on
the developing human fetus are unknown. For this reason and because HDAC
Inhibitor agents are known to be teratogenic, patients that are pregnant or
lactating will be excluded from this trial.

5. Laboratory values:

Within 7 days prior to registration: absolute neutrophil count greater than or
equal to 1000/microL, platelets greater than or equal to 100,000/microL,
bilirubin (total and direct) less than or equal to 1.5 times upper limit of
normal, and AST less than or equal to 3 times upper limit of normal, creatinine
less than or equal to 1.5 times upper limit of normal, or documented creatinine
clearance of greater than or equal to 60mL/min

6. Cardiac findings:

Within 4 weeks of registration: ECG [patients should not have QTc prolongation (greater
than 480 msec) and/or rhythm abnormality; allowance of other EKG changes will be at
discretion of the investigator based on consultation with a cardiologist] and
echocardiogram [demonstrating normal ejection fraction].

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

1. Prior or concurrent malignancies that have not been curatively treated with the
exception of malignancies that have been curatively treated and without recurrence in
the preceding 5 years, non-melanoma skin cancers, low grade cervical cancer and
prostate cancer.

2. Current or previous CNS metastasis.

3. Chemotherapy within 4 weeks, 6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C, and 8 weeks for
UCN-01.

4. HIV seropositivity.

5. Pregnant or breast-feeding patients.

6. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to ongoing or active
infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac
arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with
study requirements.

7. Use of known CYP3A4 inhibitors within 3 days prior to receiving romidepsin ointment
treatment.

Inclusion of Women and Minorities:

Subjects from both genders and all racial/ethnic groups are eligible for this study if
they meet the eligibility criteria.