HIV/AIDS-Related Cancer: Statistics

Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 02/2023

ON THIS PAGE: You will find links to other parts of this website for information about the estimated number of people who will be diagnosed with a cancer related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) each year. You will also read general information on surviving the disease. Remember, survival rates depend on several factors, and no 2 people with cancer are the same. Use the menu to see other pages.

Every person is different, with different factors influencing their risk of being diagnosed with an HIV/AIDS-related cancer and the chance of recovery after a diagnosis. It is important to talk with your doctor about any questions you have around the general statistics provided below and what they may mean for you individually. The original sources for these statistics are provided below, as well as at the bottom of the individual pages in each specific guide to that cancer.

HIV/AIDS-related cancers are uncommon. Because of this, there are not specific statistics available for cancers related to HIV/AIDS. However, people with HIV infection have a higher risk of developing cancer than people without HIV infection. In the most recent estimate from the National Cancer Institute (from 2017), they are 500 times more likely to be diagnosed with Kaposi sarcoma, 12 times more likely to be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer. People with HIV infection also have a higher risk of dying from cancer than people with the same cancers but without HIV infection.

To learn more about the general statistics for a specific HIV/AIDS-defining condition, visit the sections on this same website on:

Statistics adapted from the website of the National Cancer Institute. (Source accessed February 2023.)

The next section in this guide is Risk Factors and Prevention. It describes the factors that may increase the chance of developing an HIV/AIDS-related cancer. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.