HIV Boosts General Cancer Risks

HIV infection significantly boosts the risk for developing cancer, according to a study in the August 4 issue of the British Journal of Cancer. Researchers examining the medical records of more than 2,500 HIV-positive people in Scotland before the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy showed that people with HIV infection had overall 11 times the risk for all cancers as the general population. Risk of skin cancer tripled, lung cancer quadrupled, and liver cancer increased 22 times. The risk of developing AIDS-defining Kaposi's sarcoma climbed by more than 2,000 times, while risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma increased about 100 times. Risk also varied among study subjects. Hemophiliacs and heterosexuals were five times more likely to develop any cancer, while gay men were 21 times more likely.