29 Aug In the Age of Antiretrovirals for HIV, New Secondary Tumors Have Emerged
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Mukhtar
Fahad Mukhtar MD MPH
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
College of Public Health
University of South Florida, Tampa
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Studies done in the 80s and 90s showed that patients with Kaposi sarcoma may be at risk of having secondary tumors. As a result of changes that have taken place in the demographics of patients affected with HIV/AIDS as well as Kaposi’s sarcoma, we hypothesized that tumors that follow Kaposi sarcoma might have also changed. We analyzed the incidence of second tumors developing after Kaposi sarcoma using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Result (SEER) data.
Our result indicated that the incidence of secondary tumors following Kaposi sarcoma have decreased after the emergence of antiretroviral therapy. However, we observed a significantly higher than expected number of cancer of the anus, liver, tongue, penis lymphomas, and acute lymphocytic leukemia developing in patients with Kaposi sarcoma in the era of antiretroviral therapy.
MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Response: Even though there has been an overall reduction in the risk of second tumors that follow Kaposi’s sarcoma, there are new tumors that are now associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma. It is therefore important to look out for these tumors which may develop several years after the primary tumor.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: We will need more data to study the possibility of an interaction between HIV/AIDS and Kaposi sarcoma in increasing the risk of secondary tumors. It will also be important to look at the role that immunity plays in the association between Kaposi’s sarcoma and secondary tumors.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
Citation: JAMA
Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.
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Last Updated on August 30, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD