Epidemiology of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer Among HIV-Infected Patients

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Gypsyamber D'Souza, Johns Hopkins University; Thomas E. Carey, University of Michigan; William N. William, Jr., University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; Minh Ly T Nguyen, Emory University; Eric C. Ko, Mount Sinai Medical Center; James Riddell, IV, University of Michigan Health System; Sara I. Pai, Johns Hopkins University; Vishal Gupta, Mount Sinai Medical Center; Heather M. Walline, University of Michigan; J. Jack Lee, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; Gregory T. Wolf, University of Michigan; Dong M Shin, Emory University; Jennifer R. Grandis, University of Pittsburgh; Robert L. Ferris, University of Pittsburgh
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-04-15
• Publisher: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2013 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000000083
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
• ISSN: 1525-4135
• Volume: 65
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: 603
• End Page: 610
• Grant/Funding Information: Supported by Head and Neck SPORE Consortium NCI supplement: U. Michigan: P50 CA097248, PI Gregory T. Wolf; U of M Cancer Center Core Grant P30 CA46592; M.D. Anderson: 5P50CA097007, PI: Jeffrey Myers; U. Pittsburgh: P50 CA097190, PI Jennifer Grandis; Johns Hopkins, P50 DE019032, PI: David Sidransky; Emory University: P50CA128613, PI Dong M. Shin; Emory University Center for AIDS research P30 AI050409, PI: James Curran and R01DE021395, PI Gypsyamber DSouza.
• Keywords: Science & Technology; PAPILLOMAVIRUS-ASSOCIATED CANCERS; immunosuppression; NATURAL-HISTORY; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; POPULATION; Immunology; HPV; Infectious Diseases; HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS; ACTIVE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY; PREVALENCE; case series; OROPHARYNGEAL CANCER; ORAL HPV INFECTION; survival; HIV; HNSCC; HNC; UNITED-STATES; epidemiology; RISK
• Research Categories: Biology, Virology; Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Oncology

Abstract

Background: HIV-infected individuals have a higher incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC). Methods: Case series of 94 HIV-infected HNC patients (HIVHNC) at 6 tertiary care referral centers in the US between 1991 and 2011. Clinical and risk factor data were abstracted from the medical record. Risk factors for survival were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models. Human papillomavirus (HPV) and p16 testing was performed in 46 tumors. Findings were compared with Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results HNC (US-HNC) data. Results: This study represents the largest HIV-HNC series reported to date. HIV-HNC cases were more likely than US-HNC to be male (91% vs. 68%), younger (median age, 50 vs. 62 years), nonwhite (49% vs. 18%), and current smokers (61% vs. 18%). Median HIVHNC survival was not appreciably lower than US-HNC survival (63 vs. 61 months). At diagnosis, most cases were currently on highly active antiretroviral therapy (77%) but had detectable HIV viremia (99%), and median CD4 was 300 cells per microliter (interquartile range = 167-500). HPV was detected in 30% of HIV-HNC and 64% of HIV-oropharyngeal cases. Median survival was significantly lower among those with CD4 counts ≤200 than >200 cells per microliter at diagnosis (16.1 vs. 72.8 months, P > 0.001). In multivariate analysis, poorer survival was associated with CD4 >100 cells per microliter [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 3.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15 to 8.30], larynx/hypopharynx site (aHR = 3.54, 95% CI: 1.34 to 9.35), and current tobacco use (aHR = 2.54, 95% CI: 0.96 to 6.76). Conclusions: Risk factors for the development of HNC in patients with HIV infection are similar to the general population, including both HPV-related and tobacco/alcohol-related HNC.