Quality of life, characteristics and survival of patients with HIV and lymphoma.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to compare the quality of life (QOL), characteristics, and survival of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.


METHODS
Using the population-based cancer registry for Orange and San Diego Counties, We recruited 50 patients with HIV and systemic NHL (cases) and 50 age, sex and race-matched NHL patients without HIV (controls) diagnosed with NHL during 2002-2006. Patients completed a medical history survey and QOL instrument, the Functional Assessment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection (FAHI) for cases and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT G) for controls.


RESULTS
HIV-infected patients had worse overall QOL and survival than uninfected patients. QOL differences were more marked in the areas of functional, physical and social well-being than in the area of emotional well-being. HIV-infected patients had lower income and were less likely to have private insurance and more likely to have diffuse large B cell histology than uninfected patients.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV-infected NHL patients had worse QOL and survival than uninfected patients, due to a combination of co-morbidity, aggressive histology and lack of social support. However, their emotional well-being was comparable to that of uninfected NHL patients and better than historical norms for the HIV-infected.
Diamond
Catherine
C
Department of Epidemiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-7555, USA. diamondc@uci.edu
Taylor
Thomas H
TH
Anton-Culver
Hoda
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D002140:California; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012042:Registries; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D055815:Young Adult
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents