Men living with HIV twice as likely to experience certain cancers

Researchers from Cleveland, Ohio, found that men living with HIV were almost twice as likely to also have cancer when compared to men who are HIV negative. The risk of developing a tumour also appears to increase significantly in the presence of high viral load. The article was published in News Medical. 

The analysis presented was based on medical data from 82,000 men living with HIV and seven million men without HIV. The most common types of cancer were: anal, rectal and lymphoma.

The excess cancer prevalence is believed to be in part due to premature ageing caused by HIV, as well as increased non-HIV related risk factors such as smoking and exposure to other viruses such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

Cathy J Bradley, who wrote the editorial which accompanied the analysis, said that these findings highlight the importance of addressing known risk factors and making lifestyle changes, such as:

• Continued access and use of antiretroviral treatment
• Vaccination (including HPV, HBV etc) even at later ages
• Healthier diets and better activity to curb obesity
• Smoking cessation and alcohol intake reduction

It is also necessary to improve the way medical services screen for certain cancers in men living with HIV.