Molecular Basis For Therapy Of Aids Defining Cancers

Cancer incidences increase in people living with HIV/AIDS. Over 2 million people currently live with HIV/AIDS in the US. This number will increase as HAART prolongs the average lifespan and as (at least in some states) the number of new HIV infections increase again. As this population ages their incidence rates for cancer will increase, as well. Recently, new rational targets for cancer therapy have emerged. But their application to the care of HIV+ patients is slow, because of concerns about the weakened immune status of the patients, because of possible drug interactions with HAART and because some of the AIDS defining cancer are rare.

With increasing efficacy of antiretroviral therapy, HIV/AIDS has shifted from a disease with high mortality to a chronic illness with substantial longevity. However, researchers, physicians and social workers still face many challenges, and it is important to raise awareness on several aspects that people living with HIV/AIDS have to deal in their daily lives. This book has assembled an array of chapters on the medical, social and economic aspects of HIV/AIDS. The chapters were written by experts from around the globe reflecting the importance of the topic. This book will be of great interest not only to graduate students but also to active academics and practitioners.

The association between AIDS and cancer was recognized from the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, when the appearance of Kaposi sarcoma in a cluster of young men was one of the first signs of this new disease. It was soon recognized that AIDS was caused by infection with a novel virus (HIV) and that AIDS patients are prone to develop a number of “AIDS-defining” cancers: Kaposi sarcoma, lymphoma, and cervical cancer. The development of effective combination anti-HIV therapy starting around 1996 converted AIDS from a death sentence to a manageable disease and led to dramatic shifts in the epidemic. As this therapy was able to improve immune function in patients, the incidence of most “AIDS-defining” cancers decreased. There is a misconception, however, that AIDS has gone away. In fact, as AIDS patients are living longer, the number of AIDS patients has more than doubled in the United States since 1996, and the AIDS population overall has increased in age. Also, as AIDS patients are less likely to die of other complications, cancer is coming to the forefront as one of the most common causes of death in regions where AIDS drugs are widely available. Moreover, the three “AIDS-defining” cancers are now taking a back seat to a number of other HIV-associated cancers, such as Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer, and anal cancer. In the developing world, AIDS-associated cancers are a major public health problem, and in some regions of sub-Saharan Africa, Kaposi sarcoma is the most common tumor in men. In recent years, there has been a vast increase in our understanding of HIV-associated cancers. We now know, for example, that most are caused by other viruses and that the main role of HIV and immunodeficiency is to provide a supportive environment for the viruses to multiply and for the cancers to develop. But there remain a number of unanswered questions and a need for improved prevention and therapy. In the 28 chapters of this book, written by some of the most renowned experts in this field, we present up-to-date information on the cancers associated with HIV infection. The chapters cover the epidemiology of these cancers, their pathogenesis, their clinical presentation, and their treatment. The book will be of value to physicians, other medical professionals, students, and researchers with an interest in AIDS, viral-associated cancers, or HIV-associated malignancies. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. HIV-associated Cancers: Overview Robert Yarchoan, Thomas Uldrick, Mark Polizotto 2. Epidemiology of AIDS-defining Malignancies William A. Blattner and Rebecca G. Nowak 3. Epidemiology of non-AIDS Defining Malignancies Andrew E. Grulich 4. HIV Cancers in Resource-Limited Regions Sam M. Mbulaiteye 5. Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) Blossom Damania and Dirk P. Dittmer 6. Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) Lindsey Hutt-Fletcher 7. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Zhi-Ming Zheng 8. Merkel Cell Polymavirus (MCV) Nicole Fischer and Adam Grundhoff 9. Presentation and Pathogenesis of Kaposi's Sarcoma Corey Casper 10. Management of Kaposi's Sarcoma Susan E. Krown 11. Presentation and Pathogenesis of HIV Lymphomas Richard F. Little, Stefania Pittaluga, Kieron Dunleavy 12. Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Neel K. Gupta and Lawrence D. Kaplan 13. Burkitt and Burkitt-Like Lymphoma Kishor Bhatia and Sam M. Mbulaiteye 14. Primary Effusion Lymphoma Giovanna Tosato 15. AIDS-related Central Nervous System Lymphoma Jan Davidson-Moncada and Thomas Uldrick 16. Plasmablastic and Other Lymphomas Huan-You Wang, Ida Wong-Sefidan, Erin Reid 17. Hodkin Lymphoma Michele Spina, Rosanna Ciancia, Accursio Augello 18. Multicentric Castelman Disease Mark N. Polizzotto, Thomas S. Uldrick, Robert Yarchoan 19. Cervical Cancer Elizabeth A. Stier 20. Anal Cancer Joel Palefsky 21. Other HPV-Associated Cancers Kristina R. Dahlstrom and Erich M. Sturgis 22. Lung Cancer in HIV Infection Deepthi Mani and David M. Aboulafia 23. Hepattocellular Carcinoma in HIV-positive Patients Massimiliano Berretta, Paolo De Paoli, Umberto Tirelli, Bruno Cacopardo 24. Merkel Cell Carcinoma and Other HIV-associated Skin Cancers Nathalie C. Zeitouni adn Bethany Lema 25. Conjuctival Carcinoma Kenneth O. Simbiri and Erle S. Robertson 26. Malignancies in Children with HIV Infection D. Cristina Stefan 27. cART and Supportive Care Ronald T. Mitsuyasu 28. Stem Cell Transplantation Christine Durand and Richard Ambinder

The essential reference of clinical virology Virology is one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing fields of clinical medicine. For example, sequencing techniques from human specimens have identified numerous new members of several virus families, including new polyomaviruses, orthomyxoviruses, and bunyaviruses. Clinical Virology, Fourth Edition, has been extensively revised and updated to incorporate the latest developments and relevant research. Chapters written by internationally recognized experts cover novel viruses, pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, organized into two major sections: Section 1 provides information regarding broad topics in virology, including immune responses, vaccinology, laboratory diagnosis, principles of antiviral therapy, and detailed considerations of important organ system manifestations and syndromes caused by viral infections. Section 2 provides overviews of specific etiologic agents and discusses their biology, epidemiology, pathogenesis of disease causation, clinical manifestations, laboratory diagnosis, and management. Clinical Virology provides the critical information scientists and health care professionals require about all aspects of this rapidly evolving field.

This report considers the biological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie the pathogenicity of tobacco smoke. Many Surgeon General's reports have considered research findings on mechanisms in assessing the biological plausibility of associations observed in epidemiologic studies. Mechanisms of disease are important because they may provide plausibility, which is one of the guideline criteria for assessing evidence on causation. This report specifically reviews the evidence on the potential mechanisms by which smoking causes diseases and considers whether a mechanism is likely to be operative in the production of human disease by tobacco smoke. This evidence is relevant to understanding how smoking causes disease, to identifying those who may be particularly susceptible, and to assessing the potential risks of tobacco products.

This book will be the first that focuses on solely on model organisms for lymphoma. It's editors are internationally recognized in the field.