Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related cancer. A study model for the mechanisms contributing to the genesis of cancer

The study of AIDS and cancer has resulted in an important convergence of cl inical-epidemiological investigations, molecular research and virological s tudies. This shared effort has led to significant discoveries in the field of human carcinogenesis. In a relatively short time, several topics have be en clarified, namely: The spectrum of AIDS-related tumours has been identified: The role of HIV in lymphomagenesis and in the development of Kaposi's sarco ma (KS) has been defined: AIDS-related cancers have allowed the discovery and extensive biological ch aracterisation of the novel virus human herpes virus type 8 (HHV8), also ca lled KS-associated herpesvirus: Genetic, molecular and phenotypic studies of AIDS-related lymphomas have co ntributed to the formulation of a pathogenetic and histogenetic model of B- cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.