Palliation of malignancies in HIV infection.

It is important to consider medication interactions and overlapping medication toxicities in persons living with HIV (PLWH) who are on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), in addition to disease-specific cancer therapy, medications to alleviate cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy, prophylaxis to prevent infection or medications for palliation. Protease inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and non-NRTIs are the major components of commonly used cART regimens, and are metabolised via the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) system of the liver. Many antineoplastic agents, and supportive therapies, including those medications required for management of opportunistic infections (anti-infective medications including antifungal agents and antibiotics), nausea/vomiting (antiemetics and steroids), cancer-related pain (opioid analgesics) and comorbid psychiatric disorders (selective-serotonin …