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Radiotherapy for patients with the human immunodeficiency virus: Are special precautions necessary?†‡

  1. Nadine Housri MD1,
  2. Robert Yarchoan MD2,
  3. Aradhana Kaushal MD1,*

Article first published online: 15 DEC 2009

DOI: 10.1002/cncr.24878

Issue

Cancer

Cancer

Volume 116, Issue 2, pages 273–283, 15 January 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Housri, N., Yarchoan, R. and Kaushal, A. (2010), Radiotherapy for patients with the human immunodeficiency virus: Are special precautions necessary?. Cancer, 116: 273–283. doi: 10.1002/cncr.24878

Author Information

  1. 1

    Radiation Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

  2. 2

    HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

*Radiation Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10-CRC, B2-3500, Bethesda, MD 20892

  1. †

    This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.

  2. ‡

    The authors thank Drs. Kevin Camphausen and Deborah Citrin for their efforts and contributions to this article.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 20 JAN 2010
  2. Article first published online: 15 DEC 2009
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 9 JUL 2009
  4. Manuscript Revised: 4 JUL 2009
  5. Manuscript Received: 29 APR 2009

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Keywords:

  • human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
  • acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS);
  • radiation;
  • cancer;
  • malignancy;
  • antiretroviral therapy

Abstract

Shortly after the onset of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in the 1980s, reports of radiation-associated toxicity in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS began to appear in the medical literature. Although the majority of reports have focused on AIDS-defining malignancies such as Kaposi sarcoma, greater-than-expected toxicity after a course of radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy has also been documented in cancers not generally classified as being related to HIV. With improved antiretroviral therapies, HIV patients are living longer and have the potential to develop a variety of HIV-associated and nonassociated malignancies that require treatment, including radiotherapy. This review reports the published data regarding the interactions of HIV, AIDS, and antiretroviral therapy with radiotherapy and implications for the management of malignancies in patients with HIV. Cancer 2010. Published 2009 by the American Cancer Society.

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