As life expectancy has increased in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era, people living with HIV (PLWH) face a growing burden of non–communicable diseases, with cancer emerging as a major cause of morbidity and mortality. This master’s thesis aimed to systematically review and synthesise evidence on cancer incidence among PLWH compared with the general population and with HIV–uninfected individuals.

A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with established methodological guidelines. Quantitative synthesis was restricted to studies reporting SIRs, which compare observed cancer incidence in PLWH with expected incidence in the general population. Meta–analyses showed substantially elevated incidence of AIDS–defining cancers, including Kaposi sarcoma, non–Hodgkin lymphoma, and cervical cancer, among PLWH. Increased incidence was also observed for several non–AIDS–defining cancers, particularly anal cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, liver cancer, and lung cancer. In contrast, findings for breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer were heterogeneous, with no consistent evidence of excess risk. Although substantial between-study heterogeneity was present, the direction of association was generally consistent for infection-related cancers. Narrative synthesis of studies comparing PLWH with HIV–uninfected populations broadly supported these findings, while studies reporting incidence rates alone consistently demonstrated higher absolute cancer incidence among PLWH.

In conclusion, this thesis highlights cancer as a persistent and important health burden among PLWH in the modern ART era. The findings emphasise the need for integrated HIV and cancer prevention strategies, including vaccination against oncogenic viruses, treatment of viral hepatitis, smoking cessation, and tailored cancer screening. Further research from underrepresented regions and with harmonised reporting is required to better characterise the global cancer burden among PLWH and to inform targeted prevention efforts.