Presentation and outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma in HIV-infected patients: A U.S.–Canadian multicenter study

Background/Aims HIV-infected patients now live longer and often have complications of liver disease, especially with hepatitis B or C virus coinfection. Limited data are available on those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A retrospective analysis from 1992 to 2005 in 6 centers identified 63 HIV-infected HCC patients. Controls were 226 consecutive HIV-negative HCC patients from four sites. Results HIV-positive patients were younger than controls (52 vs. 64 years, p < 0.001), more commonly had chronic hepatitis B or C (97% vs. 73%, p < 0.001), were more frequently symptomatic (51% vs. 38%, p = 0.048), had a higher median alfa-fetoprotein level (227 vs. 51 ng/ml, p = 0.005), but a similar mean Child–Turcotte–Pugh score (7.0 vs. 7.5, p = 0.05) and HCC staging score (Barcelona-Clínic-Liver-Cancer stages C + D in 50% vs. 58%, p = 0.24). HCC developed faster in HIV/HCV-coinfected than in HCV-monoinfected patients (mean, 26 vs. 34 years after HCV infection, p = 0.002). HIV-positive patients received proven therapy more often (48% vs. 31%, p = 0.017), but median survival was similar (6.9 vs. 7.5 months, p = 0.44). Independent factors predicting survival were symptomatic presentation (hazard ratio [HR], 0.437; p < 0.001), any proven therapy (HR, 2.19; p < 0.001), diagnosis after 01-Jan-2002 (HR, 1.52; p = 0.010), Barcelona-Clínic-Liver-Cancer stages C + D (HR, 0.491; p < 0.001), AST/ALT 2.00 (HR, 0.597; p = 0.001), AFP 400 ng/mL (HR, 0.55, p = 0.003), and platelets 100,000/mm3 (HR, 0.651; p = 0.012), but not HIV-serostatus (p = 0.19). In HIV-infected patients without HCC therapy (n = 33), median survival was longer with undetectable HIV RNA (<400 copies/mL) than with HIV viremia (6.5 vs. 2.6 months, p = 0.013). Conclusions HIV-positive HCC patients are younger and more frequently symptomatic and infected with HCV or HBV than HIV-negative patients. Tumor staging and survival are similar. In untreated patients, undetectable HIV RNA independently predicts better survival.