Anogenital preinvasive and invasive lesions in the Limpopo Province of South Africa

Anogenital preinvasive and invasive lesions are known to have been on the increase in the industrialised world since the 1970s.1 The increase in anal squamous cell carcinomas and Kaposi's sarcomas (KS) has often been associated with the HIV epidemic, especially among men having sex with men. KS and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are virus-related (KS-associated herpes virus and Epstein–Barr, respectively) AIDS-defining illnesses.2 Among anogenital cancers, only cervical cancer is listed as AIDS-defining illness. A large proportion of anogenital preinvasive and invasive lesions are human papillomavirus (HPV)-related, with a variable proportion of low-grade and high-grade (HG) HPV. HPV is a necessary cause of cervical cancer.3 Vulvar carcinomas are either HPV-related or not.4 The proportion of HR-HPV involvement in anal squamous carcinoma varies widely.5 The role of HIV as a risk factor varies mainly according to the organ involved.6–7...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Tags: Letter Source Type: research