India is home to the third-largest population of people living with HIV/AIDS, with women comprising a significant proportion of those infected. Cervical cancer, on the other hand, continues to be the second most frequent cancer in Indian women. When the two conditions coexist, the resultant impact can be fatal. Studies have repeatedly revealed that the chances of cervical cancer infections in HIV-infected women are significantly high compared to those in the non-HIV group.
According to Dr Kasturi Baruah of MOC Cancer Care & Research Centre, this rise is no coincidence. It is because of the manner in which the body is compromised by HIV infection, making it susceptible to dropped resistance against viruses such as human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the main cause of cervical cancer, according to her.
The main target of HIV is the CD4+ T-lymphocyte, a key element in the immune surveillance process. These cells assist the body in detecting and destroying viruses like HPV, preventing the viruses from establishing a permanent presence in the body. However, as the immune cells are destroyed by HIV, the body loses this ability.
Most cases of HPV infection will clear up on their own without any complications for women with normal immune systems. For women with HIV infection, if HPV infection lingers, this could be a precursor for abnormal cell changes that, with time, develop into cervical cancer.
Research indicates that HIV-positive women are several times at higher risk of developing HPV-related cervical lesions than HIV-negative women, thereby emphasising the direct effects of immuno-suppression on cancer susceptibility.
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One of the most alarming features of cervical cancer in women who have HIV is how quickly the cancer will progress. In women who have healthy immune systems, cervical cancer takes between 15 and 20 years from the time of HPV exposure for cancer to develop. In women who have compromised immune systems because of HIV, the progression of the cancer can occur in just five to ten years.
“It is important to understand the interaction between HIV and HPV biologically because HIV not only suppresses immunity but also allows a greater persistence of HPV and allows pre-cancers to progress at a significantly accelerated pace because of HIV,” Dr Baruah says.
On a positive note, cervical cancer is highly preventable if detected in its early stages. Regular pap smears and appropriate treatments for lesions will greatly lower the chances of having this type of cancer. HIV-infected women are advised to undertake frequent screenings since they are highly predisposed to this medical condition.
HPV vaccines, early HIV testing, and regular antiretroviral therapy are equally important. Successful HIV management increases the immune system's capacity to suppress the infection caused by the Human Papillomavirus to develop cancer.
ALSO READ- HPV Vaccine for Cervical Cancer Prevention: Price, Side Effects, Doses and Where to Get It
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