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Antiretrovirals failed to raise cancer risk

WASHINGTON — Despite concerns to the contrary, 5 years of published data, including data presented here this week at the XIX International AIDS Conference, do not support the theory that DNA binding nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors boost cancer risk.

Wade Ivy III, PhD, of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention in the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at CDC, and colleagues of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services presented data on children who were reported to the Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System after having been born to mothers who were exposed to HIV between 1995 and 2008.

Of 3,087 children enrolled in the database, only four were diagnosed with cancer, including acute myeloid leukemia, pleuropulmonary blastoma, Hodgkin’s nodular sclerosis and hepatocarcinoma, the researchers said.

“Cancer incidence in HIV-exposed but uninfected, prenatally ARV-exposed children was not significantly different from incidence in the general N.J. and United States population less than 15 years old,” Ivy and colleagues said.

For more information:

• Ivy W. MOPE063. Presented at: XIX International AIDS Conference; July 22-27, 2012; Washington, D.C.