Burden of HIV among Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment: Analysis of Population Cancer Registry in Northern Tanzania

The burden of cancer in sub-Saharan African countries is escalating with a rising Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevalence. However, information about the burden of HIV on cancer epidemiology is scarce. Specifically, little is known about HIV infection among the cancer cases registered in the Kilimanjaro Population Cancer Registry (KCR) despite the presence of this infection in Tanzania. Thus, our study aimed to assess the burden of HIV in cancer patients by evaluating HIV serostatus information among recorded cases of malignancies in the KCR.

This secondary data analysis examined records of all cancer cases registered in the KCR from January 2018 through December 2022 to assess the status of HIV infection among the cancer cases. Variables assessed were demographic information, type of cancer, and HIV serostatus. Proportions were analyzed using descriptive data.

A total of 5,508 cancer cases were recorded from 2018 through 2022. HIV serostatus was documented in 4.8% (226/5,508) of the cancer cases, 68% of which were HIV seropositive with a slight female predominance (male-to-female ratio of 1:1.7). Cervical cancer was the leading malignancy (18%) with recorded HIV serostatus. Patients aged 18-50 years and females had the highest prevalence of HIV infection (64.6% and 63.5%).

HIV infection is still underreported among cancer patients in the cancer registry of the Kilimanjaro region with only 4.8% of malignancies registered in KCR having a documented HIV serostatus. HIV serostatus was mostly documented in AIDS-defining cancers. Thus, efforts to support HIV counseling and testing among cancer patients should be made, as this will also affect treatment plans and monitoring.