A recent study published in the journal AIDS has found that HIV-positive individuals undergoing HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy) have shown no decline in the incidence of anal cancer.

Anal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form inside the anal tissue lining. Common symptoms include bleeding, lumps, or pain in the anal area. Additionally, anal discharge and itching are other signs of anal cancer.

The incidence of anal cancer is increasingly common in HIV-positive individuals.

According to a study in Oncology Reports, individuals with HIV are 30 to 50 times more likely to be diagnosed with anal cancer. The risk is even higher, at 60 times more likely, among bisexual and homosexual HIV-positive men.

The study was conducted on 4056 HIV-positive men over a significant period of time and found that anal cancer rates increased by five fold from the pre-HAART era to the HAART era.

Additionally, individuals with a long duration of HIV infection, such as 15 years, had a higher rate of anal cancer incidence than individuals with a short duration of HIV infection, such as 5 years.

Currently, the only treatment options available are radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery.

With the increase in life-expectancies of HIV-positive individuals undergoing treatment, anal cancer is a condition of increasing importance. Thus, the study recommends for future studies to be conducted on preventive methods for anal cancer.

For more information, please see the Web site for the journal AIDS (abstract).