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Clinical profiles of human immunodeficiency virus–associated
lymphoma in Hong Kong
YK Mak, CH Chan, CKP Li, MP Lee, YW Tsang
Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 30 Gascoigne Road,
Kowloon, Hong Kong
OBJECTIVE. To identify the clinical and prognostic
features of human immunodeficiency virus–associated lymphoma
in the local population with a view to designing more effective
treatment strategies.
DESIGN. Retrospective review.
SETTING. Referral hospital, Hong Kong.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS. All patients (n=10) with human
immunodeficiency virus–associated lymphoma managed at Queen
Elizabeth Hospital from January 1995 to December 2001.
RESULTS. All patients were men with a median age
of 39 years. The median CD4 cell count at the time of diagnosis
of lymphoma was 0.056 x 109/L. All tumours were diffuse large B-cell
lymphomas, with the exception of one systemic Burkittlike lymphoma.
Systemic lymphoma was diagnosed in seven patients and three had
primary central nervous system lymphoma. Combined antiretroviral
therapy was continued or given to five of the six patients who received
some form of chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment. Of the two
patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma who received
whole brain irradiation therapy, one patient survived 41 months
in clinical remission after diagnosis and the other patient died
of sepsis while in partial remission 19 months after diagnosis.
The
four patients with systemic lymphoma who received standard- or reduced-dose
chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and
prednisone had a median survival of 3 months.
CONCLUSION. The clinical profiles of these patients
were similar to those of patients with human immunodeficiency virus–associated
lymphoma in western countries. The overall survival of patients
was poor with conventional chemoradiotherapy. Other innovative treatment
approaches should be investigated to prolong the survival of this
patient group.
Hong Kong Med J 2003;9:91-7
Key words: Case management; Epidemiology; Hong Kong;
Human immunodeficiency virus; Lymphoma, AIDS-related
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