Therapeutic options for HIV-associated lymphomas

The clinical features and natural history of HIV-associated lymphomas differ greatly from those observed in the general population. The failure to improve outcomes with treatment intensification indicates the need for the introduction of new therapeutic options.

This review summarizes reports from 1995 to the present which focus on the treatment strategies and their prognostic relevance in the setting of HIV-associated lymphomas.

The identification of prognostic factors in rare tumors such as HIV-associated lymphomas is going to require the establishment of multi-institutional and cooperative group-supported tissue banks. The rarity of primary effusion lymphomas and plasmablastic lymphomas of the oral cavity type makes large prospective studies difficult and challenges the feasibility of defining therapy specific for a given subpopulation of patients.

HIV-associated lymphomas still represent a relevant field of clinical research. Standard methodologies for therapy in this patient population have yet to be established. However, rituximab plus chemotherapy should be offered to the majority of patients with HIV infection and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas; and the feasibility of intensive aggressive chemotherapy regimens has been successfully tested in HIV-associated Burkitt's lymphomas.