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Head and Neck Surgery

(236) HIV Infection and Treatment Outcomes of Head and Neck Cancers

Monday, October 2, 2023
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
Has Audio

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Isabel Park, MS

    Medical Student
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Esther Lee, DO

    Resident physician
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
    Falls Church, VA, United States

  • Leyn B. Shakhtour, BS

    Medical Student
    George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States

  • HM

    Hari Magge, BS

    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, USA

  • DK

    Diya Kallam, BA

    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, USA

  • Timothy Brandon Shaver, MD

    Resident
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
    Capitol Heights, Maryland, United States

    • Senior Author(s)

  • PT

    Punam Thakkar, MD

    Associate Professor
    The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates, Department of Otolaryngology
    Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Disclosure(s):
Isabel Park, MS: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Esther Lee, DO: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Leyn B. Shakhtour, BS: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Timothy Brandon Shaver, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.


Introduction: Individuals with HIV are consistently reported to have a two to four-fold risk increase for head and neck cancers. Cancer-specific mortality remains elevated in HIV-positive people compared with the general population. The objective of our study is to identify and compare head and neck cancer treatment outcomes between HIV-positive and HIV-negative people at a single institution.

Methods: A retrospective medical record review of 336 patients with cancers of the larynx and oropharynx from 2000 to 2021 who were treated at a single institution was performed. Demographics, staging, treatment, and response to treatment were reviewed. Treatment outcomes were assessed by measuring recurrence, metastasis, and survival.

Results: Of the 336 patients, 27 were HIV-positive, of which 16 had laryngeal cancer and 11 had oropharyngeal cancer. For both the laryngeal and oropharyngeal cancer groups the overall survival was independent of HIV status (Oropharyngeal cancer: 72.7% for HIV-positive vs. 86.7% for HIV-negative, p=0.198; laryngeal cancer: 81.3% vs. 77.9%, p=0.765). Among the oropharyngeal cancer group, a smaller portion of HIV-positive patients were disease-free compared to the HIV-negative patients (37.5% for HIV-positive vs. 92.3% for HIV-negative, p-value < 0.0005) given similar time to treatment (median 38 vs. 31 days). HIV-positive patients had comparable disease recurrence or metastasis compared with the HIV-negative patients (recurrence: 14.8% vs. 11.6%, p=0.621; metastasis: 9.3% vs. 7.4%, p=0.750).

Conclusions: While HIV status was not shown to impact the overall survival level and disease recurrence, disease-free survival in HIV-positive patients with laryngeal and oropharyngeal cancers was lower compared with their HIV-negative counterparts.