ObjectiveTo evaluate the importance of cervical cancer in the spectrum of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related diseases at a single high-risk institution and to compare disease characteristics in HIV-infected women with cervical cancer and those with other AIDS-related malignancies.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed data on cervical cancer and AIDS in women registered through the New York City Department of Health and institutional tumor registries from 1987 through 1995.ResultsDuring the study period, cervical cancer was diagnosed in 28 HIV-positive women. In 26, cervical cancer was the initial AIDS-defining illness, representing 4% (26 of 725) of the subjects, and it was the sixth most common initial AIDS-defining illness in women. Cervical cancer was the most common AIDS-related malignancy among women, representing 55% of the cases, followed by lymphoma (29%) and Kaposi sarcoma (16%). In 71% of the women with cervical cancer, HIV infection was diagnosed at the time of cancer presentation by routine testing, whereas in women with other malignancies, HIV diagnosis preceded cancer diagnosis (70%) by a mean of 2.7 years. Patients with other malignancies had greater immunosuppression (mean CD4 count 153/μL) than those with cervical cancer (mean CD4 count 312/μL). The recurrence rate for women with cervical cancer was 88%. Although the interval from cancer diagnosis to death was similar in all three groups (9.1–12.4 months), cancer was the cause of death in 95% of HIV-infected women with cervical cancer, compared with 60% of those with other AIDS-related malignancies.ConclusionIn urban populations at increased risk for both diseases, cervical cancer is an important AIDS-defining illness and may be the most common AIDS-related malignancy in women.