Do HIV-infected non-small cell lung cancer patients receive guidance-concordant care?

The incidence of lung cancer cases among HIV-infected individuals is increasing with time. It is unclear whether HIV-infected individuals receive the same care for lung cancer as immunocompetent patients because of comorbidities, the potential for interaction between antiretroviral agents and cancer chemotherapy, and concerns regarding complications related to treatment or infection.

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of HIV infection on receipt of guidance-concordant care, and its impact on overall survival among non-small cell lung cancer Medicare beneficiaries.

The study design was a matched case-control design where each HIV patient was matched by age group, sex, race, and lung cancer stage at diagnosis with 20 controls randomly selected among those who were not HIV infected.

The patients included in this study were Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer between 1998 and 2007, who qualified for Medicare on the basis of age and were 65 years of age or older at the time of lung cancer diagnosis. HIV infection status was based on Medicare claims data. A total of 174 HIV cases and 3480 controls were included in the analysis.

Odds ratios for receiving guidance-concordant care and hazard ratios for overall survival were estimated.

HIV infection was not independently associated with the receipt of guidance-concordant care. Among stage I/II patients, median survival times were 26 and 43 months, respectively, for those with and without HIV infection (odds ratio=1.48, P=0.021).

HIV infection was not associated with receipt of guidance-concordant care but reduced survival in early-stage patients.