A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study found that the treatment of anal pre-cancerous growths, known as high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), reduces the risk of developing anal cancer in people with HIV by more than 50% (N Engl J Med 2022;386:2273-82). More than 10,723 people, age 35 years or older, living with HIV were surveyed. Patients diagnosed with HSIL (n=4,459) were randomly selected to receive treatment or active monitoring with no treatment. After a median follow-up of just over two years, among the patients who had received active monitoring and no treatment, 21 people were diagnosed with anal cancer. Of the patients who had received treatment for the HSIL diagnosis, nine people were diagnosed with anal cancer – a 57% reduction.
The study authors note that their findings could also lead to an increase in recommendations for HSIL screenings for people living with HIV, as well as...
