HIV linked with certain cancersv

People who are infected with HIV are more likely to develop certain types of cancer, new research has suggested.

According to a study at UT Southwestern Medical Centre, non-Aids-defining malignancies, including lung and anal cancer, are more common among patients with HIV.

This development has occurred since anti-retroviral therapies were introduced during the mid-1990s.

Lead author Dr Roger Bedimo wrote in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes that a "genuine increase" in the cancers has been noted.

He said: "The increase is more visible because these patients are living longer, but our findings suggest that the increased number of non-Aids-defining malignancies is not simply the result of their longer lives."

Dr Bedimo indicated that the anti-retrovirals themselves, lifestyle or other circumstances could all affect the results and more research is needed.

HIV sufferers are known to be more at risk of developing Aids-defining cancers such as cervical carcinoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma.

News brought to you by Global Health TV, connecting health communities