HIV-related lymphomas in adults served in the public health network: An observational study

Individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have higher morbidity and mortality due to cancer, which is the third most common cause of death in this group, despite the high effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART). We describe the clinical and laboratory characteristics, initial staging and outcome of HIV-related lymphoma. We included 18 patients in the study, of whom 61.1% were male, mean age 41 years. Nine of the 18 patients (50%) had a diagnosis of HIV infection concurrent with the diagnosis of lymphoma. The most common histological types were diffuse non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma, 8 patients (44.4%); and Burkitt lymphoma, 5 (27.8%) cases. The Cotswold revision of the Ann Arbor staging classification in 14 patients (77.7%) was between III and IV. B Symptoms were present in 11 patients (61.1%), bulky mass was observed in 11 cases (61.1%) and had extra-nodal involvement in 8 patients (44.4%). Of the 18 cases analyzed, 8 followed on to second-line treatment, wherein the CODOX-M/IVAC scheme (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, methotrexate/ifosfamide, etoposide, and cytosine arabinoside) was used in 3 of the cases. The second most common scheme was etoposide, doxorubicin, vincristine and cyclophosphamide (EPOCH), used in 2 cases (25%), while in single cases (12.5% each) cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide, and prednisone (CHOEP), ifosfamide, etoposide, and carboplatin (ICE) and dexamethasone, cisplatin, and cytarabine (DHAP) were used. In this series, we observed very high mortality, equivalent to 44.4%, and a complete response in only 11.1%, much lower than that observed by other authors. We found that patients diagnosed with lymphoma associated with HIV had an advanced early clinical staging, and evolved with low response rates to chemotherapy.