AEGiS-05CROI: Malignancies in HIV-infected children.

5th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections

Chicago, IL - February 1-5, 1998

Malignancies in HIV-infected children.

Conf Retroviruses Opportunistic Infect 1998 Feb 1-5; 5th:231 (abstract no. S10)

Mueller BU; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

As of June 1997, over 7,900 children have been diagnosed with AIDS in the United States. Worldwide, about 1.1 million children are currently living with HIV/AIDS. Children with HIV infection have a greater than 100-fold higher incidence of malignancies (conservative estimate!) than uninfected children. Of 7,629 children diagnosed with AIDS in the United States between 1981 and 1996, a total of 156 (2.04%) had a malignancy as their AIDS-defining disease: 50 Burkitt's-like non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL); 48 immunoblastic NHL: 30 NHL of the central nervous system, and 28 Kaposi's sarcoma. Diagnostic problems include "atypical" symptoms and course, "atypical" malignancies, opportunistic infections in differential diagnosis. Therapeutic problems include pre-existing organ damage, concurrent (opportunistic) infections, likelihood for drug interactions. Therefore, important therapeutic principles include the design of dose-intensive chemotherapy of limited duration, and, if possible, avoidance cardiotoxic and neurotoxic agents. Awareness of pre-existing impairments or infections of multiple organ systems (will affect bone marrow reserved, kidney function, mucosal tolerance, etc.), and of potential drug interactions is paramount. Comprehensive supportive care, including psychosocial support will have to be included as well. Most protocols are not specific for HIV-infected patients but rather ad hoc modifications of standard protocols, and do not provide guidelines regarding management of HIV disease during chemotherapy. Furthermore, only limited pediatric data available.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Neoplasms, Sarcoma, Kaposi, HIV Infections, Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin, Burkitt Lymphoma, Opportunistic Infections, Incidence, Gastrointestinal Diseases, Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Follicular, United States, Child, Human, AIDS

1998-02-01
S10

Copyright © 1998 - Foundation for Retrovirology and Human Health (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Foundation for Retrovirology and Human Health. Licensed from National Library of Medicine.