Infection with HIV is an independent risk
factor for lung cancer, according to the results of a large US study published
in the online edition of AIDS.
Investigators from the US Department of
Veterans Affairs found that HIV increased the relative risk
Infection with HIV is an independent risk
factor for lung cancer, according to the results of a large US study published
in the online edition of AIDS.
Investigators from the US Department of
Veterans Affairs found that HIV increased the relative risk of lung cancer by
70%, even after controlling for other potential risk factors.
“We found that HIV infected Veterans had a
significantly higher incidence of lung cancer than uninfected Veterans,” write
the authors. “HIV infection was an independent risk factor for lung cancer
after controlling for potential confounders including smoking.”
Although it is rare, lung cancer is an
increasingly important cause of death in patients with HIV. The exact reasons
for this are unclear. The immune damage caused by the virus may have an
important role. Moreover, it is well known that there is a high prevalence of
smoking among HIV-positive people. In addition, the intensive medical
monitoring that should form an integral part of HIV care could mean that lung cancer
is more likely to be detected in people with HIV than in uninfected
Investigators from the Department of
Veterans Affairs – a major provider of free HIV care in the US – wanted to
establish a clearer understanding of the possible association of HIV with this
They therefore studied data from 37,294
HIV-positive individuals, which was matched with the medical records of 75,750
HIV-negative people. The participants all received care after the introduction of