Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology Advance Access originally published online on February 8, 2008
Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology 2008 38(2):134-139; doi:10.1093/jjco/hym168
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© The Author (2008). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved
Report of Aids-related Lymphoma in South Korea
1 Inha University Hospital, Incheon, South Korea
2 Korea University, Anam Hospital Seoul, South Korea
3 Yonsei University, Severance Hospital Seoul, South Korea
4 The Catholic University Medical College, Seoul, South Korea
5 Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, South Korea
6 Seoul National University, Bundang Hospital, Sungnam, South Korea
7 Catholic University, St Vincent Hospital, Suwon, South Korea
8 Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
For reprints and all correspondence: Chul Soo Kim, Department of Medicine, Inha University Hospital, 7-206, 3rd street, Shinheung-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon 400-711, South Korea. E-mail: cskimmd{at}inha.ac.kr
Received September 16, 2007; accepted November 24, 2007
Background: The prevalence of AIDS-related lymphoma (ARL) is increasing in South Korea. The aim of this study is to identify the clinical features of ARL in South Korea.
Methods: From 1998 through 2006, we retrospectively analysed a total of 23 cases of ARL from seven institutions.
Results: The patients consisted of 20 males and 3 females at a median age of 40 (range, 20–72) on diagnosis of AIDS. ARL developed at their median age of 41 (range, 24–72). The histological diagnosis was aggressive B cell lymphoma in the majority, but rare T cell and NK/T cell lymphoma were also included. Ten of 23 (43.5%) was receiving highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) before the diagnosis of ARL. Fifteen of twenty-three patients were given combination chemotherapy with/without radiation, four were given radiation alone, and four did not receive any treatment against medical advice. Of 20 patients followed-up, nine were alive in remission, two alive in disease, one died of treatment related complication, four died of progressive lymphoma, four died of AIDS related causes. The response to treatment included CR in eight (44.4%), PR in four (22.2%) and PD in three (16.7%). The response to HARRT was evaluable in 13 patients based on CD4+ cell count and HIV viral load, among which nine (69.2%) responded. Estimated median survival time was 43.9 months.
Conclusions: Although the population of patients is small, this is the first clinical data analyses of Korean ARL patients. As a substantial portion of the patients remains alive disease free, the impact of HAART on the clinical course of ARL needs further follow-up and evaluation.
Key Words: lymphoma • AIDS-related • anti-retroviral therapy • highly active • chemotherapy • combination • radiotherapy