HIV-associated malignancies at 40: much accomplished but much to do

Abstract

The report in 1981 of a cluster of cases of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) in homosexual men in New York and California was one of the earliest harbingers of the AIDS pandemic, and association of cancer with HIV/AIDS has been one of the key features of this disease since. Looking back at year 40, the development of anti-retroviral therapy markedly reduced the incidence of AIDS-related cancers that occur at low CD4 counts, and this has been one of the most impressive advances in cancer prevention over the past half-century. There have also been advances in prevention and treatment of various HIV-associated tumors. However, as AIDS patients are living longer, there has been an increase in other cancers. Cancer continues to be one of the most frequent causes of death in persons living with HIV, and further basic, translational, clinical, and epidemiologic research in this area is urgently needed.