Changes in cancer mortality among HIV-infected patients: the Mortalité 2005 Survey

Abstract

Background: The goal of the current study was to describe the distribution and characteristics of malignancy related deaths among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with use of data obtained from a national survey conducted in France in 2005 and to compare with results obtained from a similar survey conducted in 2000.

Method: The underlying cause of death was documented using a standardized questionnaire fulfilled in French hospital wards and networks that were involved in the treatment of HIV-infected patients.

Results: Among the 1042 deaths reported in 2005 (964 were reported in 2000), 344 were cancer related (34%), which represented a significant increase from 2000 (29% of deaths were cancer related) (P=.02); 134 of the cancer-related deaths were AIDS related and 210 were not AIDS related. Among the cancer-related causes of death, the proportion of hepatitis-related cancers (6% in 2000 vs. 11% in 2005) and non-AIDS/hepatitis-related cancers (38% in 2000 vs 50% in 2005) significantly increased from 2000 to 2005 (P=.03 and P=.01, respectively), compared with the proportion of cancer that was AIDS related and adjusting for age and sex. Among cases involving AIDS, the proportion of non-Hodgkin lymphoma-associated deaths did not change statistically significantly between 2000 and 2005 (11% and 10% of deaths, respectively).

Conclusions: In this study, an increasing proportion of lethal non-AIDS-related cancers was demonstrated from 2000 to 2005; meanwhile, the proportion of lethal AIDS-related cancers remained stable among HIV-infected patients. Thus, cancer prophylaxis, early diagnosis, and improved management should be included in the routine long-term follow-up of HIV-infected patients.