Rates of Endoscopy Higher & Colon Cancer Lower in Those With HIV

People with HIV had a higher hazard of endoscopy, especially at younger ages, than the general population, as well as a lower hazard for average-onset colon cancer, according to results published in AIDS. Corinne Joshu, PhD, and colleagues examined Medicaid data from 2001-2015 for 41 million and 32 million unique individuals with 7 or more months of continuous eligibility for the endoscopy and colon cancer analysis, respectively. Endoscopy and colon cancer incidence increased with age in both groups. Compared with beneficiaries without HIV, patients with HIV had a higher hazard of endoscopy that was strongest among those aged 18-39 (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.77-1.92) and attenuated with age. People with HIV aged 18-39 also had a higher hazard of early-onset colon cancer (HR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.05-2.62), though this association was attenuated after adjusting comorbidities. The HRs were null for all beneficiaries aged less than 50. In addition, people with HIV had a lower hazard of average-onset colon cancer compared with those without HIV (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66-0.94).