Use of antineoplastic agents in patients with cancer who have HIV/AIDS

Michelle A Rudek1, Charles Flexner, Richard F Ambinder

  • 1Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. mrudek2@jhmi.edu

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has substantially reduced morbidity and mortality of AIDS-related complications in patients with HIV; however, the prevalence of AIDS-defining cancers and non-AIDS-defining cancers has increased. In this Review we discuss the management of HAART pharmacotherapy in relation to cytotoxic chemotherapy or targeted antineoplastic agents. We will review potential pharmacological interactions between antiretroviral and antineoplastic therapies and consider how to combine antiretroviral and antineoplastic agents in patients with HIV who are receiving HAART therapy.

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