Association between HIV and cancer risk.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to examine whether people with HIV infection (PWH) show different cancer incidences compared to individuals without HIV infection in South Korea.

DESIGN

Population-based cohort study.

METHODS

This study included all PWH diagnosed with HIV infections in South Korea between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2017. The 2017 PWH number includes both new and previous HIV diagnoses. The prevalence of newly diagnosed AIDS-defining cancers (ADCs) and non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) were evaluated from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022, as endpoints.

RESULTS

Following 1 : 5 propensity score matching, 20 703 PWH and 89 881 controls were included. The incidence rate of ADCs was 165.9 per 100 000 person-years in PWH and 51.8 per 100 000 person-years in the controls. In the Cox regression analysis, PWH had a 3.17-fold higher incidence of ADCs than in the controls (hazard ratio: 3.17, 95% confidence interval: 2.60-3.86; P  < 0.001). The incidence rate of NADCs was 1614 per 100 000 person-years in PWH and 1888 per 100 000 person-years in the controls. In the Cox regression analysis, no significant difference was observed in the incidence of NADCs between PWH and the control group ( P  = 0.101). However, PWH showed a higher incidence of NADCs than in the controls for nasopharyngeal, anal, and nonmelanoma skin cancers; Hodgkin lymphoma; and, leukemia.

CONCLUSION

PWH had a greater risk of ADCs than individuals without HIV infection. Among the NADCs, PWH showed a greater risk of nasopharyngeal, anal, nonmelanoma skin cancers; Hodgkin lymphoma; and leukemia.