Question:medium

The most common neoplasm in patients with AIDS is:

Show Hint

Kaposi sarcoma is a hallmark AIDS-defining illness. Early antiretroviral therapy (ART) significantly reduces the risk of developing Kaposi sarcoma and other AIDS-associated malignancies.
Updated On: Jul 14, 2026
  • \( \text{Carcinoma of breast} \)
  • \( \text{Acute myeloid leukaemia} \)
  • \( \text{Adenocarcinoma} \)
  • \( \text{Kaposi sarcoma} \)
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
AIDS is caused by a drop in CD4+ T cells, which lets certain viruses that a healthy immune system would normally control cause disease, including cancer.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Look for the cancer among the options that is known to be caused by a virus kept in check by CD4+ T cells, since that link directly explains why it becomes common once those cells are depleted.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Human herpesvirus 8 causes Kaposi sarcoma by driving abnormal growth of the cells lining blood vessels. In a person with normal immunity, T cells keep this virus dormant, but in AIDS, falling CD4+ counts let the virus trigger tumor formation, seen as reddish purple skin lesions and sometimes internal organ involvement.
Breast carcinoma, acute myeloid leukaemia, and adenocarcinoma all occur regardless of immune status and have no defined link to a virus suppressed by CD4+ T cells.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Because Kaposi sarcoma is directly tied to the loss of immune control over human herpesvirus 8, it is the neoplasm most commonly seen in AIDS patients.
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