Clinical presentation and outcomes of prostate cancer in an urban cohort of predominantly African American, human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients

A clinical overview of people living with HIV and genitourinary cancer care

The number of people living with HIV infection has been increasing globally. Administration of antiretroviral therapy is effective in controlling the infection for most patients and, as a consequence, people living with HIV (PLWH) now often have a long life expectancy. However, their risk of developing cancer - most notably virus-related cancers - has been increasing. To date, few studies have assessed the risk of genitourinary cancers in PLWH, and robust scientific data on their treatment-related outcomes are lacking. Previous studies have noted that PLWH are at a reduced risk of prostate cancer; however, low adoption and/or availability of prostate cancer screening among these patients might be confounding the validity of this finding. In genitourinary cancers, advanced stage at diagnosis and reduced cancer-specific mortality have been reported in PLWH. These data likely reflect, at least in part, the inequity of health care access for PLWH. Notably, systemic chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy could decrease total CD4+ cell counts, which could, therefore, increase the risk of morbidity and mortality from cancer treatments in PLWH. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have become the therapeutic backbone for many advanced malignancies in the general population; however, most studies validating their efficacy have excluded PLWH owing to concerns of severe adverse effects from immune checkpoint inhibitors themselves and/or related to their immunosuppressed status. To our knowledge, no genitourinary cancer survivorship programme exists that specifically caters to the needs of PLWH. By including PLWH in ongoing cancer trials, we can gain invaluable insights that will help to improve cancer care specifically for PLWH.

Prostate cancer presentation, treatment selection, and outcomes among men with HIV/AIDS: A clinical stage, race, and age-matched contemporary analysis

PURPOSE

To compare the clinical presentation, treatment receipt, and oncologic outcomes between human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive (HIV+) and seronegative (HIV-) men with prostate cancer (CaP) matched by age, clinical stage, and race.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review of 3,135 men treated for CaP from 2000 to 2016 was performed. HIV+ patients (N = 46) were matched 1:2 to 3 to HIV- men (N = 137) by age, race, and clinical stage. Clinicopathologic features and primary treatment received were compared between cohorts. Associations between HIV status and progression-free, cancer-specific, and overall survival were compared by HIV status using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards analysis.

RESULTS

After matching, men with and without HIV were similar with respect initial prostate-specific antigen, Gleason Sum, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status. Among HIV+ men, 67.4% had a history of acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and 91.3% were on highly active antiretroviral therapy at CaP diagnosis. Among men with localized disease, HIV+ men were more likely to receive radiation (59.5% vs. 44.8%) or no therapy (13.5% vs. 4.3%) and less likely to receive surgery (16.2% vs. 30.2%), or to initiate active surveillance (10.8% vs. 16.4%; P = 0.04 overall). There were no differences in rates of clinical progression, development of castration resistance, or CaP death by HIV status. However, HIV+ status was associated with inferior overall survival (hazard ratio 2.89, P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

While most HIV+ patients had a history of acquired immune deficiency syndrome; HIV was well controlled in the majority of patients at the time of CaP diagnosis. While oncologic outcomes were similar between HIV+ and HIV- men, significant differences in treatment selection were observed. Further research is necessary to understand differences in treatment election by HIV status and to define optimal CaP treatment selection in men with HIV.

Is There an Optimal Curative Option in HIV-Positive Men with Localized Prostate Cancer? A Systematic Review

Aims

We aimed to compare the outcome of curative treatment options in localised Prostate Cancer (PCa) amongst HIV positive (HIV+) men.

Methods

A systematic search of the Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews, the Scopus and PubMed databases was performed (January 1995 to November 2015) using pre-determined search terms. Outcome measures for comparison included the rate of biochemical failure (BCF), survival benefit and complications.

Results

A total of 14 eligible articles were identified for inclusion, representing a total of 202 HIV+ men with PCa. Radical Prostatectomy was performed in 40/153 compared to 109/153 patients undergoing alternative (non-surgical) treatments options. Only 3 studies compared outcomes within their respective study cohort. One study (n = 10) reported BCF results with 1/2 BCF patient in the surgical arm vs. 1/8 BCF positive patients in the non-surgical arm (mean 46 months follow-up), while two other studies reported no occurrences of BCF within both arms of their studies.

Conclusion

Due to paucity in the literature, there is insufficient evidence to support a certain treatment modality arm specifically for HIV+ men with localized PCa. An individualized management algorithm seems feasible within this cohort, until more definitive studies are performed.

Cancer survival in people with AIDS: A population-based study from São Paulo, Brazil

Cancer survival among people with AIDS (PWA) has been described in developed countries, but there is lack of data from developing countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate survival after cancer diagnosis in PWA and compare it with people without AIDS (non-PWA) in São Paulo, Brazil. A probabilistic record linkage was carried out between the databases of the Population-based Cancer Registry of São Paulo (PBCR-SP) and the AIDS registry of SP (SINAN) to identify PWA who developed cancer. For comparison, non-PWA were frequency matched from the PBCR-SP by cancer site/type, sex, age, and period. Hazard ratio (HR) stratified by matching variables was estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model. A total of 1,294 PWA (20 patients with two primary site tumors) were included in the site/type-specific analyses. AIDS-defining cancers (ADC) comprised 51.9% of cases assessed. The all-cancer 5-year overall survival in PWA was 49.4% versus 72.7% in non-PWA (HR = 2.64; 95%CI = 2.39-2.91). Survival was impaired in PWA for both ADC (HR = 2.93; 95%CI = 2.49-3.45) and non-ADC (HR = 2.51; 95%CI = 2.21-2.84), including bladder (HR = 8.11; 95% CI = 2.09-31.52), lung (HR = 2.93; 95%CI = 1.97-4.36) and anal cancer (HR = 2.53; 95%CI = 1.63-3.94). These disparities were seen mainly in the first year after cancer diagnosis. The overall survival was significantly lower in PWA in comparison with non-PWA in São Paulo, as seen in high-income countries. Efforts to enhance early diagnosis and ensure proper cancer treatment in PWA should be emphasized.

Racial differences in prostate cancer risk in young HIV-positive and HIV-negative men: a prospective cohort study

PURPOSE

African American men have the highest incidence of prostate cancer among ethnic groups, and racial disparity is highest in younger men. Prostate cancer prevalence is rising in HIV-infected men due to improved survival on antiretroviral therapies, yet little is known about racial differences in prostate cancer risk by HIV-infection status and age.

METHODS

This is a prospective cohort study of prostate cancer risk in 2,800 HIV-infected and -uninfected men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 40-70 years (22% African American) who were enrolled in the multicenter AIDS cohort study from 1996 to 2010. Poisson regression models were used to examine associations between race and HIV-infection status and prostate cancer risk among men aged 40-70, 40-55, and 56-70 years.

RESULTS

Among men aged 40-70 years, incidence rates (IR) per 100,000 person-years were 169 among all men and 276 among African American HIV-infected men. Prostate cancer risk was similar by HIV-infection status (IRR 1.0, 95% CI 0.55-1.82), but nearly threefold higher in African Americans compared to non-African Americans in adjusted models (IRRs 2.66 and 3.22, 95% CIs 1.36-5.18 and 1.27-8.16 for all or HIV-infected men, respectively). Racial disparity in prostate cancer risk was greatest in African American men aged 40-55 years (adjusted IRR 3.31, 95% CI 1.19-9.22). Prostate cancer risk showed associations with family history of prostate cancer (p = 0.001), but not heavy smoking, androgen supplement use, or HIV-related factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Among MSM, African American HIV-positive and HIV-negative men aged 40-55 years have threefold increased risk of young-onset prostate cancer compared to non-African American men, highlighting the need to make informed decisions about screening in this population.

Virologic and Immunologic Outcomes in HIV-Infected Patients with Cancer

Achievement and maintenance of virologic suppression after cancer diagnosis have been associated with improved outcomes in HIV-infected patients, but few studies have analyzed the virologic and immunologic outcomes after a cancer diagnosis. All HIV-infected patients with a diagnosis of cancer between 2000 and 2011 in an urban clinic population in Baltimore, MD, were included for review. HIV-related outcomes (HIV-1 RNA viral load and CD4 cell count) were abstracted and compared for patients with non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) and AIDS-defining cancers (ADCs). Four hundred twelve patients with baseline CD4 or HIV-1 RNA viral load data were analyzed. There were 122 (30%) diagnoses of ADCs and 290 (70%) NADCs. Patients with NADCs had a higher median age (54 years vs. 43 years, p < .0001) and a higher frequency of hepatitis C coinfection (52% vs. 36%, p = .002). The median baseline CD4 was lower for patients with ADCs (137 cells/mm³ vs. 314 cells/mm³) and patients with NADCs were more likely to be suppressed at cancer diagnosis (59% vs. 25%) (both p < .0001). The median CD4 for patients with NADCs was significantly higher than patients with ADCs at 6 and 12 months after diagnosis and higher at 18 and 24 months, but not significantly. Patients with an NADC had 2.19 times (95% CI 1.04-4.62) the adjusted odds of being suppressed at 12 months and 2.17 times the odds (95% CI 0.92-5.16) at 24 months compared to patients with an ADC diagnosis. For patients diagnosed with ADCs and NADCs in this urban clinic setting, both virologic suppression and immunologic recovery improved over time. Patients with NADCs had the highest odds of virologic suppression in the 2 years following cancer diagnosis.