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Pancreatic cancer in HIV-positive patients: a clinical case-control study
Ernesto Zanet1, Massimiliano Berretta, Fabrizio Di Benedetto
1Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy. 00bernius00@virgilio.it
Objectives:
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the fourth and fifth most common cause of cancer-related death among men in United States and in Europe, respectively. No data are available for HIV-positive patients. The aim of this study was to investigate and to compare clinical presentation and outcome between HIV-positive and HIV-negative PC patients.
Methods:
From April 1988 to June 2010, the Italian Cooperative Group on AIDS and Tumors identified 16 cases of HIV-positive PC patients. Each HIV-positive patient from our institution was randomly matched (ratio 1:2) with HIV-negative patients (32 controls) based on sex and year of PC diagnosis. Differences in clinical presentation, treatment, and overall survival were assessed.
Results:
At multivariate analysis, HIV-positive patients compared with HIV-negative patients had a higher risk of an unfavorable performance status (PS ≥ 2) and a younger age (<50 years) at cancer diagnosis. At multivariate analysis, HIV-positive status and PS of 2 or greater were the only 2 features that significantly reduced PC patients' survival.
Conclusions:
Our data show, for the first time, that HIV-positive PC patients, compared with HIV-negative patients, are younger at cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, they share a more unfavorable PS and a shorter survival.
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