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Cancer

Cancer Risk Among People with HIV Varies by Race and Risk Group

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has shown that cancer risk among people with HIV (PWH) has varied across different racial/ethnic and transmission risk groups. The study, which analyzed data from PWH aged 20 years during 2001-2019, found significant differences in cancer incidence rates among different racial/ethnic groups and risk groups. For example, liver cancer rates declined 23% per 5-year period among White PWH, 11% among Black PWH, and 18% among Hispanic PWH.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found significant differences in cancer incidence rates among different racial/ethnic groups, with liver cancer rates declining 23% per 5-year period among White PWH, 11% among Black PWH, and 18% among Hispanic PWH.
  • Cancer rate trends varied across risk groups, with anal cancer rates declining among men who have sex with men, stable among people who inject drugs, and increasing among other risk groups.
  • Between 2001-2004 and 2015-2019, the relative difference in cancer incidence rates by race/ethnicity increased for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and liver cancer, but decreased for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
  • The study identified differences in cancer rate trends across racial/ethnic groups for HL, lung, liver, and cervical cancer, as well as across risk groups for HL, lung, anal, and liver cancer.
  • The authors recommend that future work examine the underlying causes of the differences in trends.

Statistics:

  • Liver cancer rates declined 23% per 5-year period among White PWH.
  • Liver cancer rates declined 11% per 5-year period among Black PWH.
  • Liver cancer rates declined 18% per 5-year period among Hispanic PWH.
  • Between 2001-2004 and 2015-2019, the relative difference in cancer incidence rates by race/ethnicity increased for HL by 22% and liver cancer by 35%.
  • Between 2001-2004 and 2015-2019, the relative difference in cancer incidence rates by risk group increased for NHL by 17% and liver cancer by 45%.

Sources:

  • "Differences in Trends in Cancer Incidence Rates Among People With HIV During 2001-2019 by Race and Ethnicity and by Risk Group in the United States." Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2024,80(6). doi: 10.1093/cid/ciae555 (https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciae555)
  • AIDS Weekly. "Researcher from National Cancer Institute (NCI) Reports Recent Findings in HIV/AIDS (Differences in Trends in Cancer Incidence Rates Among People With HIV During 2001-2019 by Race and Ethnicity and by Risk Group in the United States)." October 20, 2025; p 177.

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