short review memo (2019) 12:230–234 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12254-019-00518-7 HIV-triggered lymphoma Bernd Lorenz Hartmann · Michèle Desiré Atzl Received: 16 February 2019 / Accepted: 6 August 2019 / Published online: 15 August 2019 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature 2019 Summary Treatment outcomes of AIDS-related lym- HIV [3]. On the other hand, treatment outcomes of phomas (acquired immune deficiency syndrome, ARL (AIDS-related lymphomas) have improved, near- ARL) have improved, nearing those reported for HIV- ing those for reported HIV-negative cohorts [4–6]. We negative (human immunodeficiency virus) cohorts; review the current trends in managing lymphoma in recommended treatment protocols are herewith pre- patients with HIV infection. sented. The diagnostic approach to lymphoma in patients with HIV should include screening for and Managing lymphoma in patients with HIV treatment of concomitant infections attributed to HIV-related immunosuppression. Appropriate an- All patients presenting with lymphoma must be tiretroviral treatment with adjustments for potential screened for HIV infection. The general management drug interactions should be initiated urgently, and of lymphoma disease in the HIV population and those recommended antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral not infected with HIV are comparable. However, the prophylaxis commenced. haematological malignancy in combination with the underlying HIV disease and chemoimmunotherapy Keywords HIV · AIDS · Lymphoma · Treatment · will lead to more severe immunosuppression. His- HAART torically, due to the fear of worsening the existing immune suppression with concurrent chemother- Take home message apy, cortisone treatment and anti-CD20 agents, less intensive chemotherapeutic regimens were used. Im- Treatment regimens for lymphoma in patients with HIV plementation of a full lymphoma treatment regimen (human immunodefciency virus) are principally similar followed by administration of G-CSF (granulocyte to those recommended for patients without HIV. By colony-stimulating factor) is now recommended in introducing and maintaining appropriate antiretroviral all HIV-infected patients treated with chemotherapy therapy, as well as adding applicable prophylaxis regi- [7]. Also, specifically referring to the HIV-positive in- mens, maximum safety may be achieved. dividual, PET (positron emission tomography) results should be interpreted with caution. False-positive Introduction results may occur [8, 9], for example with reactive lymphadenopathy in some infective processes like In the era of cART (combination antiretroviral treat- syphilis and tuberculosis. ment), AIDS-related (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) malignancies still occur with excess preva- Specific lymphomas lence [1, 2], with lymphoma still the leading cause of cancer-related death among patients infected with Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most Dr.B.L.Hartmann()·M.D.Atzl Department of Internal Medicine, Haematology and Medical common subtype of lymphoma in adults independent Oncology, LKH Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria of the HIV-status. It accounts for 31% in HIV-negative [email protected] [10] and 45% in HIV-positive lymphomas [11]. The 230 HIV-triggered lymphoma K short review combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy in There have been no randomised controlled trials. the R-CHOP regimen (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, Data regarding the use of (DA) EPOCH can be extrap- doxorubicin, vincristine and oral prednisone) is stan- olated from the study of the National Cancer Insti- dard of care for the immunocompetent patient. In tute with AIDS-associated aggressive lymphoma [23]. HIV patients, the only phase III trial comparing CHOP A case report for this regimen in combination with vs R-CHOP showed a better complete remission (CR) ART describes tolerability and effectivity [24]. In a ret- rate for the addition of rituximab (57.6% vs 47%), but rospective analysis, a CHOP-like regimen was evalu- that did not improve the clinical outcome. This was ated in eight patients, omitting prednisone to prevent duetoanincreaseininfectiousdeaths,particularly exacerbation of Kaposi sarcoma. A CR rate of 42% in those individuals with CD4+ lymphocyte counts and median OS of 6 months was described [25]. PEL less than 50 cells/µl [12]. In severely immunocom- is rarely CD20 positive; when it is expressed, treatment promised individuals, one should consider delaying should incorporate rituximab [26, 27]. rituximab until some immune recovery has occurred. Relapse is frequent and expected within 6–8 months The R-EPOCH regimen (rituximab, etoposide, pred- after first-line therapy [4]. When this occurs, autolo- nisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and doxoru- gous stem cell transplantation may be considered [28, bicin) is highly efficient in ARL patients with CR rates 29]. of 73% [13]. Nevertheless, a randomised prospec- Targeted therapy strategies are under investigation. tive trial compared R-CHOP with DA (dose-adjusted) These include bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor, R-EPOCH in immunocompetent patients and found brentuximab vedotin (BV), a CD30 antibody, dara- no difference in effectivity [14]. tumumab, an antibody targeting CD38 [30–32], and antiviral agents valgancyclovir [33]andcidofovir[34]. Burkitt’s lymphoma For unfit patients, a palliative talc pleurodesis may avoid repeated thoracentesis. Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) represents between 10–35% of HIV-associated non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) Hodgkin’s lymphoma cases [11, 15]. Treatment of BL in HIV-negative pa- tients is guided by the German Multicentre Study A German multicentre study of 108 patients with Group on Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia HIV infection and Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) showed (GMALL) protocol. It has also been shown to be that stage- and risk-adapted treatment is feasible very effective in the HIV-infected patient, with a CR and effective [35]. In this study, patients with early rate of 80% and a 4-year overall survival (OS) of favourable HL, defined as Ann Arbor stage IA/B or 72% [16]. Other effective regimens are CODOX-M/ IIA/B without risk factors (large mediastinal tumour, IVAC (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, extranodal involvement, three or more lymph node methotrexate, etoposide, ifosfamide, cytarabine) or areas involved), received two courses of doxorubicin, HyperCVAD/HD-MTX (hyper-fractionated cyclophos- bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) plus phamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexametha- 30Gy of involved-field (IF) radiation. Patients with sone plus high-dose methotrexate). CR rates over 90% early unfavourable HL (stage IA/B or IIA/B and at could be achieved by these regimens; 3-year OS was least one risk factor) received four courses of BEA- 77% and 2-year OS was 78% [17, 18]. An alternative COPP baseline (bleomycin, etoposide, adriamycin, cy- regimen is SC-EPOCH-RR (short-course etoposide, clophosphamide, oncovin, procarbazine, prednisone) prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and dox- plus 30Gy of IF radiotherapy to sites of initial bulky orubicin with dose-dense rituximab), with no progres- disease (those at least 5cm in diameter), or residual sion of disease and OS of 100% and 90% respectively tumour of 2cm in diameter. However, the German during a follow-up time of 73 months reported [19]. Hodgkin Study Group HD11 trial, which excluded HIV-infected patients, found four courses of ABVD Primary effusion lymphoma plus 30Gy IF radiation equal to 4 cycles of BEACOPP and 30Gy IF radiotherapy in early unfavourable HL, Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) only accounts for and was associated with less toxicity [36]. It is not 4% of HIV-associated NHL [20]. Clinically, it presents known if this can be extrapolated for populations with as a malignant lymphomatous effusion in body cav- HIV infection. ities like the pleural space, peritoneal cavity or peri- For advanced HL, treatment entailed six to eight cardium. Diagnosis is made by identifying malignant courses of BEACOPP baseline. After the completion cells, characterizing by immune phenotyping, and fi- of chemotherapy, sites of initial bulky disease (those nally detecting the presence of pathognomonic HHV8 at least 5cm in diameter) and residual tumour larger (human herpesvirus 8) infection. PEL cells may ex- than 2.5cm in diameter received 30Gy of irradiation. press CD45, CD30 and CD38, but have no typical B or The 2-year overall survival rate was 90.7% with no sig- T cell markers. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) co-infection nificant difference between early favourable (95.7%), is commonly diagnosed (60–90% of cases), although early unfavourable (100%), and advanced-stage HL its role in the pathogenesis of PEL is not clear [21, 22]. K HIV-triggered lymphoma 231 short review (86.8%). Eleven patients (11%) died, and treatment- Concurrent to staging of the lymphoma, it is related mortality was 5.6% [35]. pertinent to screen additionally for infections as- BV and the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) sociated with advanced immunosuppression, for blocker nivolumab are approved for the treatment of example pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and my- HL and reported equally active and feasible in HIV-in- cobacterial infection. These must be diagnosed and fected HL patients [37, 38]. Serious drug interactions promptly treated. Furthermore, routine serological between BV and ritonavir, cobicistat or other CYP3A screening for viral hepatitis, syphilis and CMV (cy- inhibitors can be expected. tomegalovirus), as well as cryptococcal