The article was originally titled "Texas Cancer Patients Have a High Rate of False Positives in HIV Testing."
Researchers in Texas reported a higher rate of false-positive HIV tests in cancer patients, especially among older women who received plant alkaloids.
False Reactions in Cancer Patients***Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing" The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, was led by Chia-Yu Chiu from the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health at the University of Texas MD MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Research Results. 
The study reviewed HIV testing performed at one center between 2016 and 2023, covering 43,637 cancer patients. Studies investigated false-positive results when using antibodies to antigen HIV tests. Of the 272 cancer patients who tested positive for HIV, 29% were false positives, mostly white men (54% white and 69% male), with 39% of participants aged > 60 years. 46% of 111 cancer** participants received plant alkaloids**.
Confirmatory testing showed that 29% of initial HIV tests were false. Although these test results do not affect cancer**, the test results can cause psychological distress. False-positive HIV tests were found to be more common in older or female participants, as well as in participants receiving plant alkaloids (paclitaxel, docetaxel, vinblastine, and vincristine)**. In contrast, participants who are black or brown or co-infected with syphilis have a reduced likelihood of false-positive tests.
Essentials and practice.
Limitations reported on the study included a lack of information on signal cut-off ratios, which may affect the false-positive rate. In addition, cancer** often involves multiple medications, making it difficult to determine whether certain cancers** interact with HIV immunoassays.
While other studies have found higher rates of false-positive HIV test results in people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the current study has not shown this association, possibly due to the smaller sample size. Therefore, the study authors recommend that clinicians should be aware of the high likelihood of false-positive HIV tests in cancer patients** and provide counselling to patients, especially those at low risk of HIV infection.