Study Finds INcreased Risk of Some Cancers Among HIV-Positive People in U.S.
HIV-positive people in the U.S., many of whom
are living longer because of antiretroviral drugs, are at an increased
risk for certain types of cancers, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Reuters reports.
The study was conducted among 54,780 HIV-positive people and was based
on cancer trends from 1992 to 2003. It found that as of 2003, anal
cancer was 59 times more common among HIV-positive people than among
the general population. In addition, Hodgkin's disease was 18 times
more common among people living with HIV, followed by liver cancer at
seven times more common, lung cancer at 3.6 times more common, skin
cancer melanoma and throat cancer both at three times more common, and
colorectal cancer at 2.4 times more common. Rates of Kaposi's sarcoma
and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which have typically been associated with
HIV/AIDS, became relatively less common among people living with the
disease, according to the study.
CDC's Pragna Patel, who
led the study, said the most significant finding is the higher risk for
anal cancer even in the "era" of highly active antiretroviral therapy.
She added that multiple factors could explain the increased risk but
that the risk might be linked to the spread of human papillomavirus,
which is known to cause anal cancer, among men who have sex with men
The study also found that prostate cancer was less common among
HIV-positive people compared with the general population. Researchers
explained that HIV-positive people possibly have a smaller risk for
prostate cancer because men with HIV are more likely to have low
testosterone levels, which could provide some protection against the
cancer.
"The study was done because we all know that now people with HIV are
living longer, and HIV is looking more like a chronic disease," Patel
said, adding, "So we wanted to look at one of the other very large
chronic killers in America -- cancer." Patel called the study the
largest analysis of cancer trends ever done among HIV-positive people
in the U.S., adding that doctors who provide care for HIV-positive
people should be aware of the increased risk for certain cancers among
their patients and consider screening for the conditions (Dunham,
Reuters, 5/20).
The study is available online.
