Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the developing world, where HIV and
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) infection are also endemic. HIV infection is independently associated
with increased morbidity and mortality among women with cervical cancer. TB is believed to increase the
risk of malignancies and could cause chronic inflammation in the gynecologic tract. However, the relationship
between cervical cancer and TB in settings hyperendemic for HIV is unknown. We found that 18
(10%) of a cohort of 180 women with cervical cancer in Botswana had a history of TB disease. Age and HIV
infection were also associated with a history of TB disease. Our data show that prior TB disease is highly
prevalent among patients with cervical cancer infected with HIV. The coexistence of cervical cancer, HIV
infection, and prior TB infection might be higher than expected in the general population. Prospective
studies are needed to better determine the impact of the collision of these three world health epidemics.