[Intensive chemotherapy for Burkitt lymphoma in HIV positive patients].

BACKGROUND

Burkitt lymphoma has a low incidence, is highly aggressive, may be endemic, sporadic or associated with immunodeficiency and it has a high frequency of extranodal involvement. Overall and relapse free survival in HIV patients is 72 and 71% respectively. However, the current protocol in Chile considers a positive HIV serology as an exclusion criterion for intensive chemotherapy.

AIM

To analyze the response to Burkitt lymphoma treatment among HIV positive patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

All HIV positive patients with a Burkitt lymphoma treated using PANDA protocol in a public hospital were analyzed.

RESULTS

Eight male patients aged between 25 and 43 years, 63% in stage IV, were analyzed. All patients received an intensified chemotherapy regime, three of them without Rituximab. Complete remission was achieved in 87%. One patient was refractory to treatment and one patient relapsed at 5 months and died. Overall and relapse free survival were 58 and 60% respectively. All patients had episodes of high risk febrile neutropenia, but it did not cause deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

In this group of HIV patients, intensive chemotherapy for Burkitt lymphoma had a high degree of effectiveness with a low relapse rate and high cure rate.