Collecting and Studying Tissue Samples From Patients With HIV-Associated Malignancies

HIV-infected males and females age 18 and older with one of the four malignancy types studied with available diagnostic biopsy material

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Participants must have a diagnosis of a malignancy or clinical findings suggestive of a possible HIV-associated malignancy of one of four types:

  • Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  • Non-small cell lung malignancy
  • Anal cancer
  • Cervical cancer

• The presence of any of the following conditions will exclude a participant from study enrollment:

  • Absence of sufficient diagnostic tumor-biopsy tissue material to meet the protocol requirements for baseline specimen submission (minimum specimen size of 10 x 10 x 2 mm); repeat tumor biopsy will not be performed solely to meet the protocol specimen-collection requirements
  • Participants whose biopsies, for the purpose of this protocol, show a diagnosis of anal intraepithelial neoplasia or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
  • Prior treatment for the study malignancy (including neo-adjuvants), since treatment can affect the mutational spectra of tumors
• HIV infection based on serologic documentation of HIV infection at any time prior to study entry, as evidenced by positive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), positive western blot, or any other Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved (licensed) HIV test; alternatively, this documentation may include a record that another physician has documented that the patient has HIV based on prior ELISA and western blot, or other approved diagnostic tests

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Participants must be willing and able to sign an IRB-approved informed consent document

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics