HIV-positive people who maintain or regain an adequate CD4 T-cell count on antiretroviral therapy are less likely to develop cancer, according to study results reported in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Those who do not experience good immune recovery, however, have a higher risk for cancer, underscoring the importance of prompt HIV treatment.
Cancer is a growing concern as the HIV population ages. Thanks to effective antiretroviral treatment, cancer and heart disease are now among the leading causes of death for people with HIV, as they are for the population at large. On the whole, HIV-positive people have more cancer risk factors—including higher rates of smoking and a greater likelihood of coinfections like human papillomavirus (which causes anal, cervical and oral cancers) and hepatitis B…