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To study the cancer pattern among HIV positive cancer cases. The study group included patients registered in the HIV Cancer clinic at the Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai, which is the largest tertiary referral cancer center in India. We used the gender and age-specific proportions of each cancer site of the year 2002 that was recorded in the Hospital Cancer Registry to estimate an expected number of various cancer sites among HIV positive cancer patients during the period 2001–2005. The observed number of site-specific cancer cases was divided by the expected number to obtain proportional incidence ratio (PIR). No case of Kaposi’s sarcoma was observed. Increased proportion of non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) was observed (PIR in males = 17.1, 95%CI 13.33-21.84, females = 10.3, 95%CI 6.10-17.41).In males, PIR was increased for anal cancer (PIR = 10.3, 95%CI 4.30–24.83), Hodgkin’s disease, testicular cancer, colon cancer, and few head and neck cancer sites. Among females, the PIRs for cervical cancer (PIR = 4.1, 95%CI 2.90–5.75), vaginal cancer (PIR = 7.7, 95%CI 2.48–23.85), and anal cancer (PIR = 6.5, 95%CI 0.91–45.88) were increased. The absence of Kaposi’s sarcoma and increased PIRs for certain non –AIDS defining cancers among HIV infected cancer cases indicates a different spectrum of HIV associated malignancies in this region. The raised PIR for cervical cancer emphasizes the urgent need for screening programs for cervical cancer among HIV infected individuals in India.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: India has the second largest number of HIV/AIDS patients in the world; however studies done in the area of HIV-related malignancies are few. With the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy and treatment and prevention of opportunistic infections an increase in life expectancy of HIV-infected individuals and an increase in HIV-related malignancies is expected. The purpose of this review is to put forth the Indian scenario of HIV-related malignancies. RECENT FINDINGS: About 2.5 million Indians have HIV/AIDS. Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and cervical cancer were found to occur in a higher proportion among the HIV-infected individuals in India as compared with non-HIV-infected individuals. The incidence of AIDS-related primary central nervous system lymphoma is low in India. Kaposis sarcoma is rare in India. Amongst the non-AIDS defining cancers anal cancer testicular cancer Hodgkins disease colon cancer and certain head and neck cancer sites in men and vaginal cancers among women were found to occur more frequently. SUMMARY: With the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy an increased mortality and morbidity due to neoplastic diseases is expected in the future. As India is a large country and geographically and culturally diverse large-scale studies need to be done linking the regional cancer centres with the AIDS centres across the country to evaluate the exact burden of HIV-related malignancies.