Cancer

Cancers are a range of diseases caused by uncontrolled cell division.

A number of cancers occur more frequently among people with HIV than in the general population. Some of these cancers are AIDS-defining illnesses, such as Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and cervical cancer.

Other cancers are not identified as AIDS-defining illnesses, despite a higher incidence among HIV-infected people. These non-AIDS-defining cancers include Hodgkin's disease; anal cancer; squamous cell carcinoma of the eye (conjunctival), skin, lip and anogenital region; testicular cancer; lung cancer; multiple myeloma (a type of leukaemia); and leiomyosarcoma (a type of connective tissue cancer).

These cancers are not regarded as AIDS-defining because the increased incidence has not been definitively linked to immune deficiency. Other factors such as high smoking rates or sexual activity may account for the high incidence.

This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.