Second malignancies

Abstract

The incidence and spectrum of neoplasms among persons infected with HIV have risen with the increasing survival in the era of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) and have contributed as a significant cause of death in this population. The specific neoplasms developed include anal cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, head and neck carcinomas, and carcinomas of the skin, including penile and vulvar/vaginal cancer, among others. Epidemiologic studies have shown that these neoplasms occur with higher frequency than in non-HIV-infected persons and, in general, tend to occur in patients who are younger than their HIV-negative counterparts. On the other hand, these cancers tend to show atypical pathology (e.g., poorly differentiated neoplasms and high tumor grade) and have a more aggressive behavior (e.g., higher probability of local progression and metastasis), resulting in poorer response to therapy and outcome.