title: Pulmonary resection for lung cancer in HIV-positive patients with low (<200 lymphocytes/mm(3)) CD4(+) count.
abstract: The clinical improvement obtained with combination treatment has modified the therapeutic approach of lung cancer in HIV-positive patients. Aggressive surgical treatment has become a viable option for those patients in whom the CD4(+) cell count was greater than 200 lymphocytes/mm(3). We recently extended our surgical indications to include two HIV-positive patients with lung cancer (stage IIIA and IIB) and low (<200 lymphocytes/mm(3)) CD4(+) count. Both patients underwent a lobectomy and mediastinal nodal dissection. The postoperative course was uneventful. No evidence of recurrent cancer was seen at 12 and 20 months after the operation. Based on this limited experience, we conclude that a low CD4(+) count should not represent, per se, an exclusion criterion for the surgical treatment of pleuropulmonary conditions in HIV-positive patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, 'E. Morelli' Regional Hospital, Sondalo, Italy. toracica@novanet.it
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Massera
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rocco
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robustellini
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Pona
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meroni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizzi
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D002282:Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged