Lymphoma: New TAG Report



The Treatment Action Group (TAG) has published a 64-page
booklet on the current status of AIDS-related lymphoma. THE
LYMPHOMA PROJECT REPORT: CURRENT ISSUES IN RESEARCH AND
TREATMENT OF AIDS-ASSOCIATED LYMPHOMA, by Michael Marco, with
an introduction by Lawrence D. Kaplan, M.D., is based on
interviews with dozens of experts.

Lymphoma, of which there are several kinds, is a cancer of
the lymphatic system which occurs in HIV-negative as well as
HIV-positive persons; it is much more common in persons with
immune deficiency (whether caused by HIV, by drugs to prevent
rejection of organ transplants, or by other causes) than in
the general population. Lymphoma occurs in about five to ten
percent of persons with HIV, often after AIDS has been
diagnosed (although it is the first AIDS-defining illness in
about three percent of persons with AIDS). While it can occur
at any CD4 (T-helper) count, the risk is greater when the
count is low. However, the length of time one is HIV infected
may be a more important risk factor than the degree of immune
suppression; for this reason, the number of cases of lymphoma
is increasing since people with HIV are now living longer
than before. Unlike Kaposi's sarcoma, which occurs mainly in
gay men, lymphoma occurs about equally in all HIV risk
groups; for unknown reasons, white men are at a slightly
higher risk than others.

Sometimes lymphoma is found in a single rapidly-swelling
lymph node; in other cases there is no specific sign, and the
disease is difficult to diagnose.

Lymphoma can be cured in many cases, with chemotherapy,
radiation, or other treatments. But it still remains a major
life-threatening condition, with many people living less than
a year after diagnosis.

The TAG booklet, first released May 1995 at the 31st Annual
Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, looks
at all aspects of AIDS-related lymphoma, including
conventional and experimental treatments. It includes 23
recommendations, mainly for improving future research. The
writing is fairly technical, about at a medical-student
reading level.

THE LYMPHOMA PROJECT REPORT is available for $10 from
Treatment Action Group, 200 East 10th Street #601, New York,
NY 10003. It is available free of charge to people living
with HIV disease who cannot afford to pay: call TAG at
212/873-9044.