HIV infection raises lung cancer risk

	Tweet

Independent of cigarette smoking, infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is associated with an elevated risk for developing lung cancer, a study shows.

Dr. Gregory D. Kirk from the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland and colleagues evaluated lung cancer deaths among participants in injection drug users followed since 1998 as part of an AIDS study. 

There were 27 lung cancer deaths among the 2,086 participants; 14 of the deaths occurred in HIV-infected subjects.

After adjusting for potentially confounding factors like age, sex and smoking status, HIV infection was associated with a 3.6-fold increased risk for lung cancer death compared to HIV-negative status.

“As HIV-infected persons survive longer, we are continuing to see that non-AIDS outcomes are becoming the primary causes of morbidity and mortality,” Kirk told Reuters Health. “Our study suggests that the risks for these non-AIDS outcomes may be modulated by HIV infection.”

“We hope to combine our data with other HIV and at-risk cohort studies to confirm the association between HIV and lung cancer,” Kirk said.

“Also, we are evaluating a series of smoking/tobacco related biomarkers in HIV infected and uninfected persons with similar smoking patterns to compare if the biological effect of smoking differs by HIV status, and if so, is this related to degree of immune suppression or to antiretroviral treatment,” he added.

SOURCE: Clinical Infectious Diseases, July 1, 2007.

RELATED STORIES:
FDA Advisory Panel Approves Home HIV Test Kit   FDA Approves New In-Home HIV Test   Home HIV test advances   Survey Reveals Support for Over-the Counter HIV Testing   F.D.A. Panel Weighs Preventive Use of H.I.V. Drug   Stem Cell Therapy Shows Promise in Fight Against HIV   Progress against HIV thwarted by patients’ unmet needs   California to test pill for HIV prevention   Mechanism of HIV spread has potential for future drug therapy   Seeking HIV treatment clues in the neem tree   HIV Prevention Pill’s Value Varies by Target   Using AIDS drugs to prevent infection: a bargain?

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]