Therapy Prevents Excess Risk of Cancer in HIV Patients
Reported March 18, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — HIV patients are at an increased risk of developing several different types of cancer. Now, a new study shows aggressive antiretroviral therapy may help lower that risk.
According to the study, use of highly active antiretroviral therapy was associated with a lower incidence of Kaposi sarcoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. However, even with the use of HAART, these types of cancers occur 20-times more frequently than they do in the general population.
The researchers compared data gathered on more than 7,300 patients infected with HIV. Patients in the study had an increased risk of developing several different kinds of cancer, including anal cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Kaposi sarcoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cervical cancer, liver cancer, cancer of the lip, mouth and pharynx, and non-melanoma skin cancer. Researchers point out most of these cancers are not specifically linked to HIV infection, as no cases of lip, lung, mouth and pharynx cancers developed in patients who did not smoke.
While those treated with HAART had lower risks of developing Kaposi sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, they did not have a lower risk of developing any of the other types of cancer.
“In conclusion, HAART treatment may prevent excess risk of [Kaposi sarcoma] and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but not that of Hodgkin lymphoma or other non-AIDS-defining cancers,” the authors wrote. They theorize helping HIV-infected patients to quit smoking could help cut the risk of some of the other kinds of cancers looked at in this study.
SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2005;97:425-432
