People with HIV who smoke cigarettes are 10 times more likely to die from lung cancer than from HIV, a study has found.
Those diagnosed with HIV are living longer because of the increasingly effective antiviral medications that have been developed in the last 10 years.
But prevention from lung cancer has not developed at a similar rate.
More than 40 percent of people living with HIV in the United States smoke, compared with 15 percent of the general adult population.
And researchers say that lung cancer prevention through smoking cessation should be a priority in the care of people living with HIV.
Those who smoke and have HIV are 10 times more likely to die from lung cancer than the viral disease, a study claims. More than 40 percent of people who live with HIV smoke, which is significantly higher than the general public. Researchers say doctors should also focus on stopping patients from smoking who have been diagnose with HIV (file photo)
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) analyzed people in the United States who have HIV and their risk of developing lung cancer.
They looked at people with HIV who were current, former and never smokers, as well as how many cigarettes they smoked per day.
Each person’s risk was also determined if they consistently took their antiviral medication for HIV.
Risk of other diseases, such as heart disease, were accounted for because they typically increase when someone is smokes cigarettes.
‘Lung cancer is now one of the leading killers of people with HIV, but most of these deaths can be prevented,’ said Dr Rochelle Walensky, chief of the MGH Division of Infectious Diseases and senior author of the study.
People with HIV are living longer now thanks to antiviral medications, but smoking and HIV together put them at risk of developing lung cancer at a rate even higher than that among smokers not infected with HIV.
‘Smoking and HIV are a particularly bad combination when it comes to lung cancer,’ said Dr Krishna Reddy, MD, of the MGH Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and the Medical Practice Evaluation Center (MPEC), who led the study.
‘Smoking rates are extraordinarily high among people with HIV, and both smoking and HIV increase the risk of lung cancer.’
The researchers found that nearly 25 percent of people who consistently take their anti-HIV medications but continue to smoke will die from lung cancer.
Among smokers who quit at age 40, only about six percent will die of lung cancer.
Heavy smokers are at an even higher risk for lung cancer, with risks approaching 30 percent.
When the researchers focused on people who do not perfectly follow recommended HIV treatment – and who are thus at greater risk of dying from HIV/AIDS – lung cancer was still estimated to kill more than 15 percent of smokers.
Dr Travis Baggett, researcher with the MGH Division of General Internal Medicine and the Tobacco Research and Treatment Center and co-author of the study, said: ‘Quitting smoking is one of the most important things that people with HIV can do to improve their health and live longer.’
‘Quitting will not only reduce their risk of lung cancer but also decrease their risk of many other diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, and emphysema.’
More than 40 percent of people living with HIV in the US smoke, compared with 15 percent of the general adult population.
Given how common smoking is, the researchers also projected the total number of expected deaths from lung cancer among people currently receiving HIV care in the US, taking into account current smoking rates and the inconsistent use of antiviral therapy that is frequently seen.
They found that nearly 60,000 will die from lung cancer – about 10 percent of all people who are receiving HIV care in the US, including both smokers and nonsmokers.
Dr Reddy said: ‘Now is the time for action. Smoking cessation programs should be integrated into HIV care, just like antiviral therapy.’