Anal cancer diagnosis in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection

Abstract

Anal cancer is rare, but certain populations are at increased risk for this type of tumor, being the third most commonly reported malignancy among HIV positive individuals. Unlike the majority of malignancies occurring in this population, the anal cancer can be prevented. The success of cervical cancer screening in reducing its incidence has led to point this strategy as a criterion for performing the anal cancer screening. However, this protocol has been used mostly and widely for conducting the scientific researches, with a few exceptions only. This study reviews the topics on anal cancer, its risk factors and its diagnosis, in order to alert the scientific community and the health professionals about the importance of anal cancer screening and its monitoring in HIV infected patients.