Printed in U.S.A. CANCER IN A GROUP AT RISK OF ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS) THROUGH 1984

J. J. Goedert, and M. Melbye. Cancer in a group at risk of acquired immunodefi-ciency syndrome (AIDS) through 1984. Am J Epidemiol 1987; 126:578-86. Using a proportional morbidity analysis method, the authors examined changes in the risk of malignancy among never-married men 20-49 years old (a surrogate population for homosexual men) in a high AIDS-risk area (City of San Francisco) and other lower AIDS-risk areas. This approach easily detected increases in Kaposi's sarcoma (odds ratio (OR) comparing 1973-1978 to 1984: 2,479-fold, proportional increase = 99.9%) and In non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (OR = 4.2-fold in 1984, p for trend <0.0001, proportional increase = 70%) in the City of San Francisco, with excesses especially in the Burkitt-like lymphomas and immuno-blastic lymphomas. Extranodal lymphomas of the brain, but not other sites, were especially prominent (proportional increase = 96%). In addition, nonsignificant increases were seen for Hodgkin's disease (p for trend = 0.13) and for hepatoma (p for trend = 0.08). A posteriori, the authors noted increases in urinary tract tumors and acute lymphoblastic leukemia which warrant monitoring. Other tumors suggested to be AIDS-assodated did not occur excessively In this population. Among single young men outside of San Francisco, Kaposi's sarcoma also increased significantly (OR = 182 in 1984), suggesting a lag of about three years behind the increases in the City of San Francisco. Some tumors may require a longer latent period before an association becomes manifest In the meantime, however, these data indicate that the increases in AIDS-related cancers are limited to only a few malignancies. acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; carcinoma; central nervous system; hepatoma; Hodgkin's disease; human immunodeficiency viruses; Kaposi's sar-coma; lymphoma One of the first indicators of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (ADDS) epi-Received for publication December 17,1986, and in final form May 26,1987