# Establishing a Platform for Clinical Improvement for Children with HIV-Associated Malignancies in Sub-Saharan Africa

> **NIH NIH U54** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2024 · $219,459

## Abstract

PROJECT 3: Establishing a Platform for Clinical Improvement for Children with HIV-Associated
Malignancies in Sub-Saharan Africa
Outcomes for children with cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are unacceptably poor, with fewer than 20% of
those diagnosed surviving. By contrast, over 85% of children with cancer in the United States survive. The HIV
epidemic complicates the landscape of pediatric malignancies in SSA. In SSA, there has been an emphatic
association between HIV infection and Kaposi sarcoma (KS), with a 40-fold increase in KS incidence in children
in Uganda. And although less pronounced, associations between HIV and mature B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma
(MB-NHL) have been established throughout the region. Not only has HIV impacted the frequency of cancer in
SSA, children with HIV have inferior outcomes compared to their HIV-uninfected contemporaries. Over the past
fifteen years, there has been a concerted effort to enable treatment of HIV-infected children in SSA with
antiretroviral therapy (ART). In partnership with collaborators in SSA, Global HOPE aims to lay the foundation
for an international collaborative clinical trial network: Pediatric HIV/AIDS & Infection-Related Malignancies
Research Consortium for Sub-Saharan Africa (PARCA). The central problem faced in SSA is the significant
burden of HIV-associated malignancies in children and the poor survival of these patients. The overall goal of
this project is to establish a standardized multi-site strategy to deliver safe and effective disease-specific and
risk-stratified care to children with KS and MB-NHL in SSA. We plan to achieve this goal through the following
specific aims:
Aim 1: Evaluate current practices and outcomes of children treated for cancer at PARCA sites to identify
and address barriers to implementation of standardize treatment regimens. We will perform assessments
of current clinical practices in SSA for children with HIV-associated and HIV-negative KS and MB-NHL with focus
on risk-stratification, delivery of therapy, and supportive care. Based on these results, we will identify and address
gaps in implementation of standardized regimens.
Aim 2: Determine the feasibility of implementing standardized treatment regimens for pediatric KS and
MB-NHL across PARCA sites. We will test the feasibility of implementing standardized, evidence-based, risk-
stratified treatment regimens for HIV-associated and HIV-negative KS and MB-NHL in Uganda and Malawi.
Feasibility of this approach will be determined by evaluating accuracy of risk-stratification, completion of
prescribed regimen, toxicity, treatment abandonment, and 1-year event-free and overall survival.
Aim 3: Investigate clinical and biological characteristics associated with clinical outcomes of children
with KS and MB-NHL treated on standardized PARCA treatment regimens. In order to identify clinical and
biology factors that may inform future risk-stratification strategies, we will evaluate the clinical significance of
bas...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10895426
- **Project number:** 5U54CA254569-05
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** CARL E ALLEN
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $219,459
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-25 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10895426

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10895426, Establishing a Platform for Clinical Improvement for Children with HIV-Associated Malignancies in Sub-Saharan Africa (5U54CA254569-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10895426. Licensed CC0.

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