The HIV Malignancy Program at Washington University has been a leader in research and care of patients with HIV-associated cancers for over three decades.
Our team of physicians and healthcare professionals is experienced in diagnosis and management of the wide range of cancers occurring in the setting of HIV infection. We are actively engaged in conducting clinical trials and translational research to advance the understanding of these malignancies, and discover novel treatment approaches.
Our team focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of malignancies occurring most commonly in people living with HIV (PLH), some of which occur in the absence of HIV infection. We also care for PLH with any other type of cancer. Cancer is becoming a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people living with HIV as these individuals age. We are also using various approaches for the prevention of malignancies, including anal and cervical cancers, and lung cancer. The following diagnoses are most commonly seen in people living with HIV:
- Lymphomas, including Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas
- Kaposi’s Sarcoma
- Anal Carcinoma
Make an Appointment
Referring physician or patients can call 314-747-1171 or 800-600-3606 to schedule a consultation with one of our HIV Malignancy Program physicians.
Our Treatment Approach
Collaboration and teamwork are integral to the Washington University HIV Malignancy Program. Our physicians work closely with other specialists including radiation oncologists, surgeons, gynecologists, infectious disease specialists, pathologists, ophthalmologists, and other supportive care experts to provide comprehensive, well-rounded care. This multidisciplinary approach ensures that patients receive the best medical treatment, and the necessary support for managing the physical and emotional challenges associated with cancer.
Patients have an initial consultation with one of our team to confirm a diagnosis and perform necessary studies for accurate staging. All new patients are discussed with the HIV Malignancy physicians to develop a personalized treatment and determine the most appropriate therapies for each patient. Many patients are eligible for clinical trials of new drugs or new drug combinations, and your physician will discuss these options with you. Treatment options that we offer include:
- Chemotherapy
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation
- Immunotherapy
- Antiretroviral Therapy
- Prophylactic Antibiotic Regimens
- Radiation Therapy
- Clinical Trials
Treatment Team
Lee Ratner, MD, PhD
Dr. Ratner is the Director of the Section of HIV Malignancy Program. His research is focused on employing state-of-the-art cell, viral, and molecular approaches to understanding the biology of virus-associated malignancies and translating these observations into novel therapeutic approaches.
Thomas Odeny, MD, MPH, PhD
Dr. Odeny’s career vision in Global Oncology is to address gaps in cancer care by translating research advances to practical and scalable cancer programs in low-resources settings in the U.S.; and in Africa. His clinical research interest is on expanding treatment options for cancers in people living with HIV.
Mia Weiss, MD
Dr. Weiss is dedicated to the care of patients with soft tissue and bone sarcomas. She runs and is involved in several clinical trials testing novel therapies in the treatment of sarcomas. She has particular interest in the care of geriatric patients and minimizing treatment toxicities and improving quality of life.
Tyler Degener, MD
(Infectious Diseases)
Dr. Degener runs the High Resolution Anoscopy Center, conducting clinical and translation trials to understand, diagnose, and treat anal dysplastic lesions in patients with HIV infection
Rachel Presti, MD, PhD
(Infectious Diseases)
Dr. Presti runs the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Unit, conducting clinical and translational trials to understand HIV pathogenesis, improve comorbidities such as malignancies associated with HIV and aging, and advance the understanding of the HIV reservoir to develop interventions for cure.
Todd Margolis, MD, PhD
(Ophthalmology and Visual Science)
Dr. Margolis is interested in research of viral and cellular mechanisms that regulate the establishment and maintenance of latent neural infection with herpes virus type 1. He is the Principal Investigator for AMC 104, a feasibility study of ocular surface squamous neoplasia surgical excision in people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.
Li-Shiun Chen, MD, MPH, ScD
(Psychiatry)
Dr. Chen’s research interests include smoking cessation treatments, pharmacogenetics and personalized medicine, cross-populational studies of smoking, gene-environmental interactions and longitudinal studies.
- Christy Breckenridge
Research and Clinical Trials
Research and innovation are key pillars of the HIV Malignancy Program. The team at Washington University is actively engaged in clinical trials as well as basic and translational research to advance our understanding of HIV-associated cancer. Washington University is a member of the AIDS Malignancy Consortium (AMC), a global cooperative oncology group of researchers conducting clinical trials.
Ongoing Clinical Trial Highlights
- AMC 101: A Pilot Study of Ibrutinib and R-DA-EPOCH for Front Line Treatment of AIDS-Related Lymphoma.
Participants with non-Germinal Center B Cell AIDS-Related Lymphomas, stages II-IV, are treated in a dose expansion study with a maximum of 6 cycles of chemotherapy combined with the targeted agent, ibrutinib. - AMC 108: A Multicenter Phase II Study of Pomalidomide Monotherapy in Kaposi’s Sarcoma.
HIV-negative or –positive individuals with Kaposi’s Sarcoma, with or without prior therapy may receive up to 24 cycles of the oral, immunomodulatory drug, Pomalidomide, 21 days of each 28 day cycle. - AMC 111: Impact of Behavior Modification Interventions and Lung Cancer Screening on Smoking Cessation in People Living with HIV: A Feasibility Study.
This study will determine the feasibility of a smartphone-based HIV-specific behavioral smoking cessation intervention that can be delivered at the time of low-dose computerized tomographic scan for persons with HIV who smoke.