Abstract

AIDS: Recent clinical advances in HIV and AIDS treatment are allowing people to live longer and enjoy a higher quality of life. However, many people may now have to confront other diseases, especially malignancies, that may not have developed in the course of a short but fatal HIV infection. The mechanisms of cancer development in people with HIV are complex and not completely understood. There are three factors that are known to influence the development of malignancies: the absence of a protective immune system to detect abnormalities, the disruption in the normal balance between cell proliferation and differentiation, and the existence of a chronically stimulated immune system. Anal squamous intraepithelial lesions (ASIL) are related to cervical and other cancers. The prevalence of anal human papillomavirus (HPV) infections among the HIV-infected community is described, along with a summary of the current understanding of ASIL in HIV infection. Also described are risk factors, screening methodologies, prevention strategies, treatment options, and current research findings.