HAART improves survival in men with KS and non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Michael Carter
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This article is more than 22 years old.

The use of HAART improves the survival of people with AIDS-defining cancers, according to a US study published in the 20 June 2002 edition of the International Journal of Cancer.

Researchers at the University of California-Los Angeles, Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, Howard Brown Health Centre, and the University of Pittsburgh examined the impact of HAART on the survival rates of people with HIV diagnosed with Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

In a retrospective study, investigators reviewed data from 387 male patients enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, diagnosed with KS or NHL between 1990 and 1999.

Glossary

non-Hodgkin lymphoma

A group of lymphomas (cancers of the lymphatic system). The many types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are classified according to how fast the cancer spreads. Although the symptoms of NHLs vary, they often include swollen lymph nodes, fever, and weight loss. Certain types of NHLs, such as Burkitt lymphoma and immunoblastic lymphoma, are AIDS-defining cancers in people with HIV.

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS)

Lesions on the skin and/or internal organs caused by abnormal growth of blood vessels.  In people living with HIV, Kaposi’s sarcoma is an AIDS-defining cancer.

retrospective study

A type of longitudinal study in which information is collected on what has previously happened to people - for example, by reviewing their medical notes or by interviewing them about past events. 

lymphoma

A type of cancer that starts in the tissues of the lymphatic system, including the lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow. In people who have HIV, certain lymphomas, such as Burkitt lymphoma, are AIDS-defining conditions.

AIDS defining condition

Any HIV-related illness included in the list of diagnostic criteria for AIDS, which in the presence of HIV infection result in an AIDS diagnosis. They include opportunistic infections and cancers that are life-threatening in a person with HIV.

Only 14% of the study population received HAART, mainly because the study covered a period before the availability of antiretroviral treatments. However, in people with both KS and NHL, HAART improved survival times even if treatment with HAART was initiated after the diagnosis of the malignancy.

Investigators noted that the mortality risk in HAART patients dropped by 84% in patients with NHL and 81% in those with KS.

Hopeful as the findings are, cancer is one of the principle causes of death amongst people with HIV in the HAART era. In the UK, NHL remains one of the major causes of HIV-related mortality, with approximately 200 of the 400 annual deaths attributed to the malignancy.

References

Tam HK et al. Effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy on survival among HIV-infected men with Kaposi’s sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. International Journal of Cancer, 97, 6: 916-922, 2002.

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