Please Note: Due to volume considerations, not all questions can be answered. Questions most likely to be answered will be those of general interest to a broad group of visitors to this forum. Questions pertaining to a specific case; requests for diagnosis, medical advice, or second opinion; or requests for opinions about untested alternative therapies will generally not be answered.
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HIV and Chemotherapy...Potential interactions?
Dec 8, 2002
Doc:
I have have learned so much from THEBODY.COM in this past year since I learned I was positive. I am in the final months of a clinical trial studying the effectiveness of the number of doses daily of Ziagen along with Epivir and Sustiva. My t cells have been consistently about 700 and my viral load has been undetectable for the last 6 months. This is still true even though 2 months ago I had a malignant tumor removed from my right colon and 2 weeks ago I began chemotherapy.
My question is about the study you cited in reply to another post about interactions between the cocktail and chemo. I'd like to find more information about that study. My HIV doc, who is terrific, was not aware of the study but he did assure me that there are no known interactions between my meds and the chemo I am taking.
I'd like to know more about the study. Is it closed, who is eligible, etc.? Is there a timeline for when results might be available?
Thanks for your time and all your good work.
JW
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Response from Dr. Dezube
The NIH (National Institute of Health) recently completed a study looking at the interaction between Taxol (a chemotherapy) and HIV drugs. The results of that study are not out yet. This study was conducted because anecdotally there were small reports of interactions between Taxol and HIV drugs. The drugs used for colon cancer (typically 5-fluroruracil) do not interfere with HIV drugs, so your doctor is probably correct. You do not mention which chemotherapy you are taking. The only HIV drug which I like to avoid in chemotherapy patients is AZT (a component of combivir, trizivir, retrovir) since both chemotherapy and AZT can lower your blood counts. It would be best to take HIV drugs which don't lower blood counts.
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