Onkológia 6/2021

HIV in oncology in the present

Cancer has been a major feature of the HIV epidemic since its inception, when cases of Kaposi›s sarcoma and non-Hodgkin›s lymphoma were one of the first recorded manifestations of what later became known as AIDS. Despite significant advances in the treatment and prognosis of HIV infection, tumors continue to account for a significant proportion of morbidity and mortality in chronically infected HIVpositive patients. With the development of effective antiretroviral therapy, there has been a significant improvement in both morbidity, mortality and life expectancy. The incidence of the so-called AIDS-defining diseases, including AIDS-defining cancers, are declining, but deaths from so-called non-AIDS defining diseases, including cancer are increasing. Several causes of carcinogenesis are thought to include immunodeficiency, higher prevalence of traditional cancer risk factors and co-infection with oncogenic viruses, pro-oncogenic effects of HIV, long-term toxicity of combination antiretroviral therapy, and others. One of the most important forms of cancer prevention is screening, which is generally less common in HIV-infected people than in the general population. In addition to screening for tumors, physicians caring for HIV-positive patients are tasked with minimizing the risk factors for their development. The role of oncologists is to effectively and safely administer chemotherapy to patients on antiretroviral therapy.

Keywords: HIV, AIDS defining cancer, non-AIDS defining cancer, epidemiology, screening