Cancer in HIV patients

Abstract

Starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) with low CD4 counts raises the likelihood of certain cancers, but others increase with longer time on therapy, reflecting the rising risk associated with older age. Researchers in the USA looked at patterns of cancer incidence and timing after ART initiation (Yanik, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2013;57:756-64). The analysis included medical records from 11,485 participants in eight U.S. HIV clinical cohorts who started ART between 1996 and 2011. Around 80% were male and they started treatment at a median age of 38 years. At the time of ART initiation, the median CD4 count was 202 cells/mm3. Nearly half started a protease inhibitor regimen. The authors looked at incidence rates for AIDS-defining cancers (Kaposi sarcoma [KS], non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and cervical cancer) and non-AIDS cancers. They separately assessed cancers caused by viruses, such as hepatocellular carcinoma caused by hepatitis B or C, lymphoma related to Epstein-Barr virus, and cervical or anal cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).