The risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in HIV-infected patients: new data and meta-analysis

The role of HIV/AIDS in non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is not well defined. We sought to update the evidence of the association between HIV/AIDS and risk of NMSC by gender and antiretroviral therapy (ART). We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE on 29 February 2014. Standardised incidence ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were extracted and combined using generic inverse variance methods assuming a random effects model. Six studies including 78,794 patients with HIV/AIDS fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Analysis of all studies showed that HIV/AIDS was associated with an increased risk of NMSC (standardised incidence ratio 2.76; 95% confidence interval 2.55–2.98). The standardised incidence ratios of NMSC were 3.63 (1.08–12.22) for men and 2.18 (1.24–3.83) for women with HIV/AIDS, respectively. In analysis stratified by ART, we found that individuals receiving ART had lower risk of developing NMSC than individuals who had not received ART (standardised incidence ratio, 95% confidence interval; 1.95 [1.10–3.47] versus 2.11 [1.44-3.12]). HIV/AIDS is associated with an increased risk of NMSC in both male and female patients. The use of ART appears to be beneficial in protecting against the development of NMSC.
Source: International Journal of STD and AIDS - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Original research articles Source Type: research