Gestational trophoblastic neoplasm and women living with HIV and/or AIDS

Abstract

The 2011 World Health Organization global report on HIV and/or AIDS estimated that sub-Saharan Africa comprised 67% of the global HIV burden, with a current estimate of 5.9 million cases in South Africa. Since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, there has been an increase in the incidence of non-AIDS-defining cancers. Gestational trophoblastic neoplasm (GTN) is a rare pregnancy-related disorder with an incidence ranging from 0.12–0.7/1000 pregnancies in Western nations. The overall cure rate is about 90%. Response to treatment for GTN is generally favourable; but the sequelae of HIV and/or AIDS, the resultant low CD4 counts, comorbidities, poor performance status and the extent of metastatic disease in patients receiving chemotherapy, compromise the prognosis and survival.