Brief Report: Pancreatic Cancer in People With HIV: A Case-Control Study

Background: We aimed to estimate the incidence and to assess the risk factors associated with pancreatic cancer (PC) in people with HIV (PWH).

Setting: We used electronic medical record data from 2009 to 2020 available in the COREVIH Ile-de-France-Est database of PWH treated in Paris public hospitals.

Methods: We analyzed data on patient demographics, treatment history, and immunovirologic status. A case-control study was designed; each case (PWH and PC) was matched on age, gender, and duration of HIV infection to 4 controls (PWH without PC).

Results: Twenty-four cases were identified from the database, with an incidence of PC estimated at 28 cases (95% confidence interval: 19 to 43) per 100,000 person-years. The median age was 57 years [interquartile range (IQR) 51-68] at cancer diagnosis. Twenty-one cases (88%) were male. The median CD4 + T-cell count at PC diagnosis was 587/mm 3 (IQR 317-748), and the nadir CD4 + T-cell count was 194 (IQR 98-380). Twenty cases (91%) had a suppressed HIV replication at PC diagnosis. Twelve patients (50%) had metastasis on diagnosis. The median time to death after cancer diagnosis was 11 months (IQR 1-19). Twenty-two cases were matched with 88 controls. There were no statistically significant risk factors of PC identified in our analysis.

Conclusion: PC remains rare in PWH and is associated with a severe prognosis at a relatively young age. Further studies are needed to identify risk factors associated with PC development in PWH.