AIDS-associated malignancies

Although currently diagnosed in about 40% of HIV-infected individuals at some point in their clinical course, AIDS-associated malignancies may increase in frequency as survival is prolonged and, particularly, as greater numbers of HIV infections occur in women. Although this review has been devoted to AIDS-defining cancers, there are suggestions from epidemiological studies that some of the more common cancers in the general population are beginning to be diagnosed at increased rates in HIV-infected people [141]. In addition, as children born with HIV infection show longer survival, increased cancer rates may be seen in this group as well. While recent advances have been made in understanding the pathogenesis of AIDS-associated malignancies, particularly KS, and modest therapeutic advances have been made, optimal therapy has yet to be defined for any of these neoplasms.