Long-term effects of chemoradiotherapy for anal cancer in patients with HIV infection: oncological outcomes, immunological status, and the clinical course of the HIV disease.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: a retrospective analysis was performed with respect to tumor response, local control, cancer and overall survival, and toxicity. immunological parameters, including preand posttreatment CD4 counts, viral load, and hiV-specific morbidity were recorded during follow-up. RESULTS: Chemoradiotherapy could be completed in all patients. acute grade 3 toxicities occurred in 17/36 patients (47%). Complete response was achieved in 31 patients (86%). five-year local control, colostomy-free, cancerspecific, and overall survival were 72%, 87%, 77%, and 74%. the median pretreatment CD4 count significantly decreased from 367 cells/μl to 139 cells/μl, 3 to 7 weeks after completion of chemoradiotherapy (p < 0.001). four patients (11%) experienced opportunistic illnesses during the follow-up (median, 66; range, 10–164 months).