Abstract:
Globally, HIV/AIDS and cancer are increasingly public health problems and continue to
exist as comorbidities. The sub-Saharan African region has the largest number of HIV infections.
Malignancies previously associated with HIV/AIDS, also known as the AIDS-defining cancers
(ADCs) have been documented to decrease, while the non-AIDS defining cancer (NADCs) are on
the rise. On the other hand, cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease and precision oncology as the
most effective cancer therapy is gaining attraction. Among HIV-infected individuals, the increased
risk for developing cancer is due to the immune system of the patient being suppressed, frequent
coinfection with oncogenic viruses and an increase in risky behavior such as poor lifestyle. The core
of personalised medicine for cancer depends on the discovery and the development of biomarkers.
Biomarkers are specific and highly sensitive markers that reveal information that aid in leading
to the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of the disease. This review focuses mainly on the risk
assessment, diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic role of various cancer biomarkers in HIV-positive
patients. A careful selection of sensitive and specific HIV-associated cancer biomarkers is required to
identify patients at most risk of tumour development, thus improving the diagnosis and prognosis of
the disease.
