How AIDS-related lymphoma is treated

How AIDS-related lymphoma is treated

The treatment of AIDS-related lymphoma is difficult because of the problems caused by HIV infection, which weakens the immune system. The drug doses used are often lower than drug doses given to patients who do not have AIDS. Two types of treatment are used:

• Chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors)
• Radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors)

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by inserting a needle into a vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drugs enter the bloodstream, travel through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy may be put into the fluid that surrounds the brain through a needle in the brain or back (intrathecal chemotherapy) to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that has spread to the brain.

Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma usually comes from a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy). Radiation given to the brain is called cranial irradiation. Radiation therapy may be used alone or in addition to chemotherapy.

Additionally, clinical trials are testing the effect of giving drugs to kill the AIDS virus (antiviral therapy) in addition to treatment of lymphoma.

Treatment of AIDS-related lymphomas depends on the stage, histology, and whether the disease is indolent or aggressive, as well as the general health of the patient. A doctor must consider white blood cell count and any other diseases caused by AIDS that the patient had or currently has.

Standard treatment may be considered based on its effectiveness in past studies, or participation in a clinical trial may be considered. Not all patients are cured with standard therapy, and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired. For these reasons, clinical trials are designed to find better ways to treat cancer patients and are based on the most up-to-date information. To learn more about clinical trials, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615 or the AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service at 1-800-342-AIDS (1-800-342-2437).

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