The Effect of MSM and CD4+ Count on the Development of Cancer AIDS (AIDS-defining Cancer) and Non-cancer AIDS in the HAART Era

BACKGROUND: The HIV epidemic is increasing among Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and the risk for AIDS defining cancer (ADC) is higher among them. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of MSM and CD4+ count on time to cancer AIDS (ADC) and non-cancer AIDS in competing risks setting in the HAART era. METHOD: Using Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study data, HIV-positive adults diagnosed between January 1997 and October 2012 having baseline CD4+ counts ≤ 500 cells/mm3 were evalu-ated. Two survival outcomes, cancer AIDS and non-cancer AIDS, were treated as competing risks. Kaplan-Meier analysis, Cox cause-specific hazards (CSH) model and joint modeling of longitudinal and survival outcomes were used. RESULTS: Among the 822 participants, 657 (79.9%) were males; 686 (83.5%) received anti-retroviral (ARV) ever. Regarding risk category, the majority (58.5%) were men who have Sex with men (MSM). Mean age was 37.4 years (SD = 10.3). In the multivariate Cox CSH models, MSM were not associated with cancer AIDS but with non-cancer AIDS [HR = 2.92; P = 0.055, HR = 0.54; P = 0.0009, respectively]. However, in joint models of longitudinal and survival outcomes, MSM were associated with cancer AIDS but not with non-cancer AIDS [HR = 3.86; P = 0.013, HR = 0.73; P = 0.10]. CD4+ count, age, ARV ever were associated with both events in the joint models. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the importance of considering competing risks, and time-dependent biomarker in the survival model. MSM have higher hazard for cancer AIDS. CD4+ count is associated with both survival outcomes.