Incidence of malignant neoplasms among HIV-infected persons in Scotland

Among 2574 persons diagnosed with HIV throughout Scotland and observed over the period 1981-1996, cancer incidence compared to the general population was 11 times higher overall; among homosexual/bisexual males, it was 21 times higher and among injecting drug users, haemophiliacs and heterosexuals it was five times higher, mostly due to AIDS-defining neoplasms. However, liver, lung and skin cancers (all non-AIDS-defining) were also significantly increased

COVID-19 and cancer registries: Learning from the first peak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

The SARS-Cov-2 pandemic in 2020 has caused oncology teams around the world to adapt their practice in the aim of protecting patients. Early evidence from China indicated that patients with cancer, and particularly those who had recently received chemotherapy or surgery, were at increased risk of adverse outcomes following SARS-Cov-2 infection. Many registries of cancer patients infected with SARS-Cov-2 emerged during the first wave. We collate the evidence from these national and international studies and focus on the risk factors for patients with solid cancers and the contribution of systemic anti-cancer treatments (SACT-chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted and hormone therapy) to outcomes following SARS-Cov-2 infection. Patients with cancer infected with SARS-Cov-2 have a higher probability of death compared with patients without cancer. Common risk factors for mortality following COVID-19 include age, male sex, smoking history, number of comorbidities and poor performance status. Oncological features that may predict for worse outcomes include tumour stage, disease trajectory and lung cancer. Most studies did not identify an association between SACT and adverse outcomes. Recent data suggest that the timing of receipt of SACT may be associated with risk of mortality. Ongoing recruitment to these registries will enable us to provide evidence-based care

HIV-1 Tat and AIDS-associated cancer: targeting the cellular anti-cancer barrier?

The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is accompanied by a significant increase in the incidence of neoplasms. Several causative agents have been proposed for this phenomenon. These include immunodeficiency and oncogenic DNA viruses and the HIV-1 protein Tat. Cancer in general is closely linked to genomic instability and DNA repair mechanisms. The latter maintains genomic stability and serves as a cellular anti-cancer barrier. Defects in DNA repair pathway are associated with carcinogenesis

The risk of cancer in HIV-infected people in South East England: a cohort study

This study used data from the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre's national HIV database and the Thames Cancer Registry to assess the risk of cancer in HIV-infected people in southeast England. Among 26 080 HIV-infected men with 158 660 person-years follow-up, 1851 cancers, and among 7110 HIV-infected women ( 31 098 person-years), 171 cancers were identified. The standardised incidence ratio ( SIR) for all non-AIDS-defining cancers was significantly increased in HIV-infected men (2.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.6 - 3.1) but was nonsignificant in HIV-infected women (1.1, 95% CI 0.8 - 1.6). Most of the cancers observed were in men (n = 1559) and women ( n = 127) with AIDS, and among them, the SIR for all non-AIDS-defining cancers was significantly increased in men (8.2, 95% CI 7.2 - 9.2) and women ( 2.8, 95% CI 1.6 - 4.6). The SIR for all non-AIDS-defining cancers was only just significantly increased in men with HIV-infection but not AIDS (1.2, 95% CI 1.0 - 1.5) and was nonsignificant in such women ( 0.8, 95% CI 0.5 - 1.2)