HIV and AIDS

Cancer Associated with HIV/AIDS

HIV infects and kills T-cells or CD4 cells. T-cells or CD4 are part of our immune system that usually helps to fight with infections, including cancer-causing viruses.

People without HIV can help to clear the virus before cancer can develop because of their good immune system.

But, people with HIV have fewer T cells, so they can’t fight infections as easily as others. Cancer-causing viruses like Kaposi’s sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV), Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Human papillomavirus (HPV) can then stick around for a long time, and cause cells to grow and divide out of control. This can lead to cancer.

• Cervical cancer
• Anal cancer
• Lung cancer