Effect of Protease Inhibitor-Based Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy on Survival in HIV-Associated Advanced Kaposi's Sarcoma Patients Treated with Chemotherapy

AbstractObjective: To determine whether the use of protease inhibitor (PI)-based antiretroviral (ARV) therapy had an impact on the survival of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) who were receiving systemic chemotherapy. Method: Records of 48 AIDS patients with extensive KS who received chemotherapy from 1995 to 1999 were reviewed. Analysis by presence or absence of PI treatment was undertaken, and patients who were receiving nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) were excluded from the analysis. Results: Median age was 38 years, and 47 patients were men having sex with men. Half of the patients (54%) had at least one prior AIDS-defining event. Median CD4 count at diagnosis of KS was 28 cells/μL (range, 1-625). Visceral KS was present in 33 patients (69%), and the remainder of patients had extensive and symptomatic cutaneous and/or mucous membrane involvement. All patients received at least one cycle of chemotherapy, including vincri...