Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) causes severe repression of the body’s capacity to heal and fight off infection. As a result, HIV patients are at a greater risk for developing some cancers. For HIV positive patient, physicians must pay special attention to their cancer treatment, since damaging side effects may not be repaired as easily as they would by an HIV-negative patient. The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has been a source of hope for many HIV patients. This therapy combats the activity of the virus and allows for more aggressive forms of cancer treatment.
A study recently published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology showed that HIV patients with head-and-neck cancer are able to undergo radiation therapy without an excessive level of toxicity; their reactions were similar to those of non-HIV patients. HAART has been invaluable in the fight to control HIV, and this study suggests that it may serve an additional role in expanding the treatment options of HIV-positive cancer patients.
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