Skin cancer

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that affects cells called melanocytes. These cells may grow into harmless moles, but a change in size, shape, or colour may be a sign of melanoma. Squamous cell cancer is another type of skin cancer characterised by raised, red, scaly, or crusted plaques.

A prospective US study recently identified a two- to threefold higher risk of non-AIDS-defining skin cancers in HIV-positive people compared with HIV-negative people. These cancers tended to occur at relatively high CD4 cell counts (a median of 432 cells/mm3), leading the investigators to recommend that HIV-positive people should be screened regularly for skin cancers, especially in light of the aging of the HIV-positive population.1

Skin cancers may be removed via freezing with liquid nitrogen, or surgery.

Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet light increases the risk of developing skin cancer.

References

  1. Crum-Cianflone N et al. Increased incidence of skin cancers among HIV-infected persons. Fourth International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Treatment, Pathogenesis and Prevention, Sydney, abstract MoPeB086, 2007
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