Is an epidemic of non'AIDS-related cancers brewing among HIVers? That's precisely what some health experts now fear, based on study data showing an alarmingly high number of liver, head, neck, and lung cancers occurring among HIV-positive Americans, even those with high CD4-cell counts.
'There's a real concern about all these cancers and what they portend,' particularly since HIVers with compromised immune systems don't respond as well to cancer treatments, researcher Mark Wainberg says.
Although researchers aren't sure exactly why cancer risks are so high for HIVers, they speculate that coinfection with other diseases, particularly human papillomavirus and hepatitis B or C, may be the culprit in some'but not all'of the cases.
What can you do to lower your cancer risks? Health experts recommend routine screenings for hepatitis, HPV, and other sexually transmitted diseases as well as talking with your doctors about ways to help prevent cancer through exercise, diet, and other lifestyle changes.
