The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) significantly increased survival in people with HIV diagnosed with AIDS-related Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to a study published online in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
The introduction of HAART has significantly decreased the incidence of some types of HIV-related cancers, including Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). The rate of new cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, however, has not fallen since HAART was introduced. This cancer, which affects the immune system, was difficult to treat in the pre-HAART era, with average survival rates ranging from eight to 26 months following a diagnosis.
Juan Berenguer, MD, of the Hospital Gregorio Marañón in Madrid, and his colleagues examined the medical records of 104 people diagnosed with HIV-related Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the Spanish health care system through 2005. Eighty-three of the 104 patients received HAART while undergoing cancer treatment, whereas 33 did not.
Berenguer’s team found that 91 percent of people on HAART achieved a complete remission from their lymphoma, compared with 70 percent who did not receive HAART. Also, the proportion of patients alive five years after diagnosis was significantly higher in those receiving HAART compared with those who did not receive HAART.
