TITLE:
Gynaecological Cancers in HIV Positive and Negative Women—A Single-Center Retrospective Study (2008-2017)
AUTHORS:
Ijeoma Victoria Ezeome, Theophilus Ogochukwu Nwankwo, Uchenna Anthony Umeh, Leonard Ogbonna Ajah
KEYWORDS:
Invasive Cervical Cancer, Non-AIDS Defining Cancers, Severity of Illness, Combination Anti-Retroviral Therapy
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.12 No.2,
February
17,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background/Objective: The association between Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and invasive
cervical carcinoma is fully recognized. However, the effect of HIV and
antiretroviral therapy on the morbidity and mortality of other gynaecological
cancers have not been conclusively determined. Our study objective was to
examine the effects of HIV on patient age at presentation, prevalence, and
severity of the illness of various gynaecological cancers diagnosed in
University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu over the period
2008-2017. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of
224 patients who were managed in UNTH for different gynaecological
malignancies. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee
of the UNTH, Enugu. Data analysis was done with SPSS software with results
expressed in descriptive statistics of simple frequency and percentage, and p-value
set at Results: A total of 224 patients were studied.
Twenty-five percent of HIV positive patients were aged 31 - 40 years at
presentation compared to 12% of HIV negative patients. The commonest
gynaecological cancer was cervical cancer with a higher proportion among the HIV-positive patients. While 32% of HIV negative
patients presented at FIGO stages 1 - 2 Versus
8.3% of HIV positive patients, 58.3% and 33.3% of HIV positive patients
presented at stages 3 and 4 respectively. Only 8.3% of HIV positive patients
presented with ovarian cancer compared with 31% of HIV negative patients. A higher proportion of HIV positive patients
presented with vulvar cancer (16.7%), but no endometrial or
choriocarcinoma/GTD, compared with HIV negative patients. Conclusion:
HIV positive clients present at an earlier age with more advanced disease,
mostly cervical cancer of the squamous cell
variety, with minimal non-AIDS defining cancers over the study period in
UNTH, Enugu.