HIV infection and cancer

Abstract

Cancers in HIV-infected patients are divided into the AIDS-defining and non-AIDS defining cancers. In the era of effective antiretroviral therapy there has been a significant decrease in the incidence of AIDS-defining cancers, whereas the number of non-AIDS defining cancers is on the rise. This is partly explained by the frequent occurrence of conventional risk factors for cancers, but also HIV infection itself seems to further increase the risk. If an HIV-infected person is diagnosed early enough, his/her life expectancy corresponds to that of the general population. Therefore the treatment goal of cancers in HIV-infected patients should be the same as for HIV negative subjects. Antiretroviral agents have significant drug-drug interactions with many other medicines. These must always be taken into account when planning the treatment of HIV-infected patients.