Division of Medical Oncology A, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.
Abstract
Hodgkin's disease represents the most common type of non-acquired immunodeficiency virus (AIDS)-defining tumor that occurs in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive population. More than 300 cases of Hodgkin's disease in HIV-infected individuals have been reported, mainly from the European countries (ie, Italy, Spain, and France) and to a lesser extent from the United States. All series have documented unusually aggressive tumor behavior, including a higher frequency of unfavorable histologic subtypes, advanced stages, and poorer therapeutic outcome, as compared with the behavior of Hodgkin's disease outside of the HIV setting.