Objectives: HIV infection is associated with increased frequency of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Kaposi sarcoma. Like other malignancies, lung cancer has been described in HIV-infected patients although no evidence of a statistical correlation has been reported.
Patients and methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 15 HIV-infected patients with lung cancer. The patients were relatively younger (mean age 45 years) than is commonly found in lung cancer cohorts.
Results: The 15 patients had mild immunodepression (240 CD4+/mm3) and were in advanced clinical stage at diagnosis. Mean overall survival was 6 months and no clinical or biological prognostic factors were found. Death was usually due to infection, suggesting a synergetic effect between HIV and chemotherapy-induced immunodepression.
Conclusion: We propose early antiretroviral therapy in cases of chemotherapy-treated HIV patients, even when commonly accepted immunological and/or clinical criteria are absent.