Ongoing change in the treatment of HIV-associated malignancies in the HAART era. Issue 3 (May 2009)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Malfitano, Antonello; Barbaro, Giuseppe; Barbarini, Giorgio
• Is Part Of: Expert review of clinical pharmacology. Volume 2:Issue 3(2009)
• Page Start: 283
• Page End: 293
• Publication Date: 2009-05
• Subjects: biotherapy -- chemotherapy -- HAART -- HIV -- lymphoma -- malignancy -- stem cell rescue; Clinical pharmacology -- Periodicals; 615.105
• DOI: 10.1586/ecp.09.1
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-2433

Abstract

Implementation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has changed the epidemiology, clinical outcome and therapeutic approach of HIV-associated malignancies. Whereas Kaposi sarcoma and primary CNS non-Hodgkin lymphoma have decreased dramatically, systemic non-Hodgkin lymphoma incidence seems unchanged, perhaps increasing as with other tumor incidence. Owing to HAART-induced immune function preservation, response rates to chemotherapy and survival times in patients with HIV-associated malignancies have neared those observed in their HIV-negative counterparts. Hence, intensive regimens have been more and more extensively used with promising results. This may also apply to other therapeutic options, such as biotherapy, and procedures, such as stem cell rescue following high-dose chemotherapy or heterologous stem cell transplant, which have so far been precluded to HIV-infected subjects as a matter of fact. A trend toward a full assimilation of HIV-infected people with cancer and the general population with the same pathology is ongoing.