AIDS associated cancers in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)

HIV infected subjects are at increased risk of developing cancer and the risk seems to be directly associated with the level of immunodeficiency. Kaposi's sarcoma, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (ARL) and invasive cervical cancer are the most common AIDS-defining malignancies. HAART widely used since 1996 changed the natural process of HIV infection by aggressively suppressing viral replication and progress of HIV disease. It significantly reduced the incidence of AIDS associated events and deaths and even changed treatment regimens ofAIDS associated cancers. With the immune restoration afforded by HAART, patients better responded to cancer treatment. There are data demonstrating that HAART regimens alone lead to remission of Kaposi's sarcoma. HAART allows the use of standard-dose chemotherapies for NON-Hodgkin lymphoma in HIV infected pacients and same treatment regimen for invasive cervical cancer in infected patients as non-infected patients.