Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome‐related lymphoma

• Published in: Cancer 2006-04, Vol.106 (7), p.1560-1568
• Main Authors: Weiss, Rudolf, Mitrou, Paris, Arasteh, Keikawus, Schuermann, Dirk, Hentrich, Marcus, Duehrsen, Ulrich, Sudeck, Hinrich, Schmidt‐Wolf, Ingo G. H., Anagnostopoulos, Ioannis, Huhn, Dieter
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; jpn
• Subjects: chemotherapy; HIV; human immunodeficiency virus; International Prognostic Index; non‐Hodgkin lymphoma
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.21759

BACKGROUND Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has improved the survival of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome‐related lymphoma (ARL). The German ARL Study Group investigated whether HAART administered concomitantly with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) chemotherapy compromised the course of immune parameters during and after chemotherapy and exerted a positive effect on remission and survival. METHODS From 1997 to 2001, 72 patients with ARL were stratified prospectively into a standard‐risk group (n = 48 patients) and a high‐risk group (n = 24 patients) with either 0‐1 or 2‐3 of the following risk factors: CD4 < 50/μL, prior opportunistic infection, and/or a World Health Organization performance status ≥ 3. Patients in the high‐risk group received ≥75% of the CHOP regimen. RESULTS In the standard‐risk group (CD4 = 223/μL; age‐adjusted International Prognostic Index [aaIPI], 38% ≥ 2), the complete remission (CR) rate was 79%, and median survival was not reached after a median 47 months of follow‐up. CD4 counts did not change from baseline to 4 weeks after the end of chemotherapy (206/μL). In the high‐risk group (CD4 = 34/μL; aaIPI, 88% ≥ 2), the CR rate was 29%, and the median survival was 7.2 months (3 patients survived for > 3 yrs). Toxicity was moderate: Leukopenia Grade 3 or 4 occurred in 100 of 249 chemotherapy cycles (40%) in the standard‐risk group and in 70 of 102 cycles (69%) in the high‐risk group. CONCLUSIONS Based on the aaIPI, the survival of patients in the standard‐risk group was very similar to that achieved by nonhuman immunodeficiency virus‐infected patients who had aggressive lymphomas. Concurrent CHOP plus HAART can be administered in an outpatient setting. Thus, the authors recommend using this modality as first‐line therapy for patients with ARL. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society. After a group of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome‐related lymphoma (ARL) received combined cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone chemotherapy plus highly active antiretroviral therapy, their median survival was longer than the median follow‐up (47 mos) in a group of standard‐risk patients with ARL. Based on age‐adjusted International Prognostic Index scores, survival in this group was comparable to the survival of patients with lymphoma who had no human immunodeficiency infection.