AIDS-related lymphoma is a broad term for a group of blood cancers that, as its name implies, affects AIDS patients. There are various types of non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) that this category encompasses, so it is not as clear-cut as one might imagine. AIDS-related lymphomas are very complex diseases with many factors to consider. It is important to understand the origin of AIDS-related lymphoma. According to the article “AIDS-Related Malignancies,” AIDS-related lymphoma is believed to be caused by the overproduction of B-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell which is an important aspect of immunity. The low blood levels of T-lymphocytes, another type of white blood cell, is characteristic of HIV, and it contributes to the unusual proliferation
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The NCI notes that the method of treatment used depends on the severity of immunological impairment of the patient. The aggressive treatment for cancer can exacerbate a patient’s health condition if he or she has a weakened immune system as all AIDS patients do. Therefore, AIDS patients are often treated with lower doses of drugs, but the incorporation of HAART can allow for standard and high doses of drugs that are more effective in treating NHL. The standard NHL treatments for AIDS-related lymphoma include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and high-dose chemotherapy with a stem cell transplant. The stage of cancer the patient is afflicted with, the ability of the patient to perform ordinary daily tasks, CD4 count, and whether or not a patient has had a previous AIDS-related infection are all taken into consideration when choosing a treatment plan suitable for each individual (“AIDS-Related… Patient Version”). The intricacy of AIDS in addition to NHL makes treatment for different patients …show more content…
There are various ways that these drugs are administered. Patients may be given the drugs intravenously, orally, through an intramuscular injection, or directly to the site of the cancer cells (“AIDS-Related… Patient Version”). The types of chemotherapy drugs a patient is given depends on the type of NHL he or she has. For example, Bower and his colleagues recommend a patient with DLBCL to be treated with the chemotherapy regimens cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP) or etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and hydroxydaunorubicin (EPOCH). They also recommend the concurrent use of HAART and a drug called rituximab. The suggested treatment for BL is similar to that of DLBCL. The researchers recommend the chemotherapy regimens EPOCH and cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, methotrexate, ifosfamide, etoposide, and cytarabine (CODOX-M/IVAC) with concurrent use of HAART and rituximab (29, 31-3). The type of NHL an AIDS patient is important in determining the type of chemotherapy drugs that he or she
The NCI notes that the method of treatment used depends on the severity of immunological impairment of the patient. The aggressive treatment for cancer can exacerbate a patient’s health condition if he or she has a weakened immune system as all AIDS patients do. Therefore, AIDS patients are often treated with lower doses of drugs, but the incorporation of HAART can allow for standard and high doses of drugs that are more effective in treating NHL. The standard NHL treatments for AIDS-related lymphoma include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and high-dose chemotherapy with a stem cell transplant. The stage of cancer the patient is afflicted with, the ability of the patient to perform ordinary daily tasks, CD4 count, and whether or not a patient has had a previous AIDS-related infection are all taken into consideration when choosing a treatment plan suitable for each individual (“AIDS-Related… Patient Version”). The intricacy of AIDS in addition to NHL makes treatment for different patients …show more content…
There are various ways that these drugs are administered. Patients may be given the drugs intravenously, orally, through an intramuscular injection, or directly to the site of the cancer cells (“AIDS-Related… Patient Version”). The types of chemotherapy drugs a patient is given depends on the type of NHL he or she has. For example, Bower and his colleagues recommend a patient with DLBCL to be treated with the chemotherapy regimens cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP) or etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and hydroxydaunorubicin (EPOCH). They also recommend the concurrent use of HAART and a drug called rituximab. The suggested treatment for BL is similar to that of DLBCL. The researchers recommend the chemotherapy regimens EPOCH and cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, methotrexate, ifosfamide, etoposide, and cytarabine (CODOX-M/IVAC) with concurrent use of HAART and rituximab (29, 31-3). The type of NHL an AIDS patient is important in determining the type of chemotherapy drugs that he or she