Malignancies in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in South Korea

Choe, Pyoeng Gyun; Song, Jin Su; Cho, Jae Hyun; Kim, Sung Han; Park, Kyung Hwa; Bang, Ji Hwahn; Park, Wan Beom; Kim, Hong Bin; Kim, Dong Wan; Kim, Tae You; Heo, Dae Seog; Oh, Myoung Don; Kim, Nam Joong; Choe, Kang Won

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Since highly active antiretroviral therapy has lengthened the life span of individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the importance of malignancy associated with HIV has been increased. The relative frequencies of malignancies in HIV infected patients may vary in different race and region. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and characteristics of malignancies in patients with HIV infection in South Korea.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
To identify HIV patients with malignancy, we reviewed the electronic database of pathological reports for all HIV-infected patients seen from January 1986 to December 2005 at the Seoul National University Hospital. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of them.
RESULTS
Among 850 patients infected with HIV, 33 episodes of malignant diseases were diagnosed in 32 patients (3.76%). Thirty were males, and median age was 46 years (range 29-70). At the time of the diagnosis of malignancy, median CD4+ lymphocytes count was 100/uL (range 5-620) and in 27 (82%) patients, CD4+ lymphocytes count were less than 200/uL. For 13 patients (40%), malignancy was initial presentation of HIV infection. Excluding patients initially diagnosed as malignancy, median follow-up duration from the first visit to diagnosis of malignancy was 36 months (range 3-96). Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was the most frequent malignancy (13 patients), followed by Kaposi's sarcoma (7), Hodgkin's disease (3), acute myeloid leukemia (1), and other solid cancer (9) including one case of anal cancer associated with human papillomavirus. Among 13 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 4(31%) achieved the complete remission after chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, and had been followed without evidence of recurrence.
CONCLUSION
Malignancy was diagnosed in 3.76% of patients infected with HIV. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the most prevalent malignancy in HIV patients in South Korea.