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A nationwide study found that TB history did not elevate long-term cancer risk among individuals living with HIV.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study published in June 2025 issue of Journal of Infectious Diseases to evaluate long-term cancer risk after TB in a cohort of individuals with HIV in Denmark.  

They used data from the Danish HIV Cohort Study between 1995 and 2020; TB and cancer diagnoses were identified through national registries. Incidence rates (IRs) and adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs) were estimated using Poisson regression. Adjustments were made for time-varying CD4 count, age, sex, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). They also estimated aIRRs stratified by age group, sex, CD4 count, and CCI.  

The results showed that among 6,135 individuals with HIV (median age: 37.1 years; 74.1% male), 319 had TB. Over 62,878 person-years of follow-up (PYFU), 451 cancer cases were identified, including 55 lung cancers. The overall cancer incidence rate among those without prior TB was 18.6 per 1,000 PYFU (95%CI: 16.9–20.4), and 19.0 per 1,000 PYFU (95%CI: 10.4–25.6) among those with prior TB, with an aIRR of 1.1 (95%CI: 0.7–1.8). The aIRR for lung cancer following TB was 1.7 (95%CI: 0.5–5.5). Stratified analysis showed slightly elevated aIRRs in women (1.3, 95%CI: 0.6–2.9) and those aged 50 years or older (1.4, 95%CI: 0.8–2.4).  

Investigators concluded that TB did not increase long-term cancer risk in people with HIV, supporting current standardized cancer surveillance practices. 

Source: academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiaf341/8173946