Abstract:
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to review the current status of clinical trials for HIV-associated malignancies
in people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and efforts made by the AIDS Malignancy Consortium
(AMC) to build capacity in SSA for HIV malignancy research.
METHODS All malignancy-related clinical trials in 49 SSA countries on ClinicalTrials.gov were reviewed and
evaluated for inclusion and exclusion criteria pertaining to HIV status. Additional studies by AMC in SSA were
compiled from Web-based resources, and narrative summaries were prepared to highlight AMC capacity
building and training initiatives.
RESULTS Of 96 cancer trials identified in SSA, only 11 focused specifically on people living with HIV, including
studies in Kaposi sarcoma, cervical dysplasia and cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and ocular surface
squamous neoplasia. Recognizing the increasing cancer burden in the region, AMC expanded its clinical trial
activities to SSA in 2010, with 4 trials completed to date and 6 others in progress or development, and has made
ongoing investments in developing research infrastructure in the region.
CONCLUSION As the HIV-associated malignancy burden in SSA evolves, research into this domain has been
limited. AMC, the only global HIV malignancy-focused research consortium, not only conducts vital HIV associated malignancies research in SSA, but also develops pathology, personnel, and community-based
infrastructure to meet these challenges in SSA. Nonetheless, there is an ongoing need to build on these efforts to
improve HIV-associated malignancies outcomes in SSA.
