A Comparison of Cancer Stage at Diagnosis and Treatment Initiation Between Enrollees in an Urban HIV Clinic and SEER

Purpose

A comparison of stage at cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment rates between people with HIV (PWH) and the general US population is needed to identify any disparities by HIV status.

Methods

We compared 236 PWH in clinical care diagnosed with cancer from 1997 to 2014 to a sample from NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program, presumed to be HIV negative. We performed G-computation using random forest methods to estimate stage and treatment percent differences (PD) by HIV. We conducted sensitivity analyses among non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADC), by sex and by CD4 ≤ 200 or > 200 cells/mm3.

Results

PWH were less likely to be diagnosed at localized stage (PD = − 16%; 95% CI − 21, − 11) and more likely to be diagnosed at regional stage (PD = 14%; 95% CI 8, 19) than those in SEER. Cancer treatment rates were 13% lower among PWH as compared to SEER (95% CI − 18, − 8). The difference in percent receiving cancer treatment was more pronounced for those with lower CD4 at cancer diagnosis (PD -15%; 95% CI − 27, − 6). Lower treatment rates were observed among NADC, males, and women with CD4 ≤ 200.

Conclusion

Cancer care for PWH could be improved by diagnosis at earlier stages and increasing rates of cancer treatment.