HCV Reactivation Doesn’t Worsen Survival in HIV+ Lymphoma Patients

the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

Results from a new study presented at ASCO 2014 indicate that reactivation of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in HIV-positive patients with lymphoma does not worsen survival outcomes. For the study, researchers analyzed medical records of 190 HIV-positive patients diagnosed with lymphoma, 28% of whom were also infected with HCV. Reactivation of the virus occurred in about one-third of the patients with HCV, the researchers reported. Overall survival in those co-infected with HCV was 59.7 months versus 88.6 months for patients without HCV or hepatitis B virus. This difference, however, disappeared after adjustment for covariates. No significant association between overall survival and HCV virus in patients with lymphoma was found, according to the data. The researchers hope that this information will help clinical trials expand to include patients with HIV and HCV so that this unique patient population can be better understood.