Differences in Trends in Cancer Incidence Rates Among People with HIV during 2001–2019 By Race and Ethnicity and By Risk Group in the United States

Abstract

Background Cancer risk among people with HIV (PWH) has declined over time as a result of antiretroviral therapy, but it is unclear whether all racial/ethnic groups and transmission risk groups have experienced equal declines. Methods We used data on PWH aged ≥20 years old from the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study during 2001–2019. We used Poisson regression to assess time trends in incidence rates for each cancer site by racial/ethnicity and risk group, adjusting for age, registry, and sex. We also estimated adjusted rate ratios across racial and ethnic and risk groups in 2001-2004 and 2015-2019. Results Trends in age-standardized rates differed across Black, White and Hispanic PWH, and across risk groups for some cancers. For example, liver cancer rates declined 23% per 5-year period among White PWH, 11% in Black PWH and 18% in Hispanic PWH. Anal cancer rates declined among men who have sex with men, were stable among people who inject drugs, and increased among other risk groups Between 2001-2004 and 2015-2019, relative difference in cancer incidence rates by race/ethnicity increased for HL and liver cancer but decreased for NHL; by risk group, relative differences increased for NHL and liver cancer, and decreased for HL, lung and anal cancers. Conclusions Among PWH in the US, during 2001–2019, HL, lung, liver, and cervical cancer rate trends were different across racial/ethnic groups. HL, lung, anal, and liver cancer rates trends were different across risk groups. Future work should examine underlying causes of the differences in trends.