Therapeutic approaches to AIDS-related malignancies

The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has changed dramatically the landscape of HIV disease. Deaths from AIDS-related diseases have been reduced by 75% since protease inhibitor therapy and combination antiretroviral therapy came into use in late 1995. While KS is declining, the situation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is more complex with a reduced incidence of primary central nervous system lymphoma, but a relatively stability in the number of patients developing systemic NHL. AIDS related NHL appears not to be markedly decreased by the introduction of HAART and it is the greatest therapeutic challenge in the area of AIDS oncology. The emphasis has now shifted to cure while maintaining vigilance regarding the unique vulnerability of HIV-infected hosts. Furthermore, also for the prolongation of the survival expectancy of these patients, other non AIDS-defining tumors, such as Hodgkin's disease, anal and head and neck, lung and testicular cancer, and melanoma have been recently reported with increased frequency in patients with HIV infection.