Brain Lymphoma and HIV: Understanding the Connection

One of the impacts of advanced HIV disease is cancer beginning in the lymphatic system, immune cells that are impacted by HIV infection. Lymphomas can occur in the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain.

Incidence

• HIV-positive people experience CNS lymphoma as the level of CD4 T-cells (which are targeted by HIV) falls very low (Merck Medicus). This occurs in AIDS, the fourth stage of HIV disease.

Effects

• A type of immune cell called B-cells is affected by CNS lymphoma. This type of cancer does not spread to other parts of the body (Merck Medicus).

Symptoms

• The symptoms of CNS lymphoma with AIDS include headache, seizures, a change in one's mental state and neurological conditions such as palsy of cranial nerves (Merck Medicus).

Treatment

• Radiation is used in the treatment of CNS lymphoma in advanced HIV disease. The use of antiretroviral drugs also increases the chances of survival (Merck Medicus).

Risk Factor

• Lacking CD4 cells that target Epstein-Barr virus is linked with an increased incidence of CNS lymphoma in HIV-positive people (Public Library of Science-Medicine).