Clinical Predictors and Outcomes of Invasive Anal Cancer for People With HIV in an Inception Cohort

Background: Due to the heterogeneity of risk for invasive anal cancer (IAC) among people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH), we investigated predictors of IAC and described outcomes among those with a cancer diagnosis.

Methods: Using a longitudinal inception cohort of anal cancer screening, we evaluated risk factors and outcome probabilities for incident IAC in Cox models. Screening included anal cytology and digital anorectal examination, and, if results of either were abnormal, high-resolution anoscopy.

Results: Between 30 November 2006 and 3 March 2021, a total of 8139 PWH received care at the University of California, San Diego, with 4105 individuals undergoing screening and subsequently followed up over a median of 5.5 years. Anal cancer developed in 33 of them. IAC was more likely to develop in patients with anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (aHSILs) on initial or subsequent follow-up cytology (hazard ratio, 4.54) and a nadir CD4 cell count ≤200/µL (2.99). The joint effect of aHSILs and nadir CD4 cell count ≤200/µL amplified the hazard of IAC by 9-fold compared with the absence of both. PWH with time-updated cytology aHSIL and CD4 cell counts ≤200/µL had 5- and 10-year probabilities of IAC of 3.40% and 4.27%, respectively. Twelve individuals with cancer died, 7 (21% of the total 33) due to cancer progression, and they had clinical stage IIIA or higher cancer at initial diagnosis.

Conclusions: PWH with both aHSIL and a nadir CD4 cell count ≤200/µL have the highest risk of IAC. PWH who died due to IAC progression had clinical stage IIIA cancer or higher at diagnosis, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis through high-resolution anoscopic screening.