Cancer in AIDS patients. Experience of a General Hospital in the Province of Buenos Aires

Twenty three HIV+ patients with cancer (2% of the infected population: 1100 patients) were treated at our Hospital between January 1987 and July 1997. Twelve patients (52%) had Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), five (22%) presented non Hodgkin lymphoma - B cell type (NHL), the remaining patients presented other non AIDS defining neoplasias. The patients with NHL presented, at the time of diagnosis, several infrequent localizations, poor tolerance to chemotherapy with a mean survival of 3 months. The patients with Kaposi sarcoma had neither positive response to recombinant Interferon alfa 2 nor to the etoposide regimens. A relatively high percentage (13%) of Hodgkin-disease (HL) was observed. Unlike previously consulted data, there was no apparent increased incidence of NHL. HIV+ patients with cancer who underwent conventional radiotherapy presented major toxicity and adverse effects not currently observed in non HIV+ patients.