Upper Aerodigestive Tract Squamous Cell Carcinoma: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Connection

Alterations in Head and Neck Cancer Occurring in HIV-infected Patients: Results of a Pilot, Longitudinal, Prospective Study

“…Second, the cancer develops earlier, with all patients under the age of 55 presenting with SCC having concomitant HIV infection (p= 0.005). In addition, our previous retrospective study showed that 21% of the patients under 45 years of age with SCC were HIV infected, similar to the 19% incidence of HIV infection in patients with cervical cancer who are under 50 years of age (4). Although SCC development may seem to be accelerated, the anatomic location of the disease process has not changed compared to non-infected patients (4).…”

“…In contrast, advanced stage occurred in only 49% of our non-infected population (n =515) (4). Tumor-related survival was 57% at 1 year and 32% at 2 years in HIV-infected patients, compared with 74% and 59% in non-infected patients (4). Since the natural course of HIV infection for patients without AIDS may be well over 10 years, survival is obviously influenced by the development of SCC.…”

Staging of head and neck cancers: Is it time to change the balance between the ideal and the practical?

“…The role that the host's immunity plays in the prognosis of head and neck cancer remains unquantified. Clinicians however can easily relate to certain situations such as HIV [13,14], genetic conditions such as Fanconi's anemia [15] and immunosuppression [16] that can influence the trajectory of SCC compared to similar lesions in patients that do not suffer from these underlying conditions. In contrast to these obvious instances of host immune deficiency, adverse prognosis in a subset of patients such as early stage tongue cancers in women that have never used tobacco and alcohol may in fact be related to as yet unrecognized aspects such as viral etiology or immune dysfunction.…”

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx in HIV-Positive Patients: Difficulties in Diagnosis and Management

“…It is not an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining malignancy but does appear to be associated with HIV infection, with a higher incidence of this malignancy in HIV-positive patients than in the general population [3]. HIV/AIDS patients with laryngeal SCC on average present at a younger age [4] and with more advanced-stage tumors that behave more aggressively [5]. They present several difficult diagnostic and management challenges.…”