Is AIDS a virus or cancer of the human blood?

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is the syndrome after HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) has replicated too much. In this case, there is no observed connection between cancer and virus. Several different cancers are caused by viral infection. For instance, a leading cause of cervical cancer is from HPV infection. read more

The two intramural divisions of NCI, the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) and the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), conduct research on both HIV and HIV/AIDS-associated cancer. For example, DCEG is conducting the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study, which uses data previously collected by public health agencies to examine cancer risk in people with HIV. read more

When the DNA or RNA affects the host cell’s genes, it can push the cell toward becoming cancer. In general, each type of virus tends to infect only a certain type of cell in the body. (For example, the viruses that cause the common cold only infect the cells lining the nose and throat.) Several viruses are linked with cancer in humans. read more