Survival outcomes used to generate version 9 American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system for anal cancer.

The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for all cancer sites, including anal cancer, is the standard for cancer staging in the United States. The AJCC staging criteria are dynamic, and periodic updates are conducted to optimize AJCC staging definitions through a panel of experts charged with evaluating new evidence to implement changes. With greater availability of large data sets, the AJCC has since restructured and updated its processes, incorporating prospectively collected data to validate stage group revisions in the version 9 AJCC staging system, including anal cancer. Survival analysis using AJCC eighth edition staging guidelines revealed a lack of hierarchical order in which stage IIIA anal cancer was associated with a better prognosis than stage IIB disease, suggesting that, for anal cancer, tumor (T) category has a greater effect on survival than lymph node (N) category. Accordingly, version 9 stage groups have been appropriately adjusted to reflect contemporary long-term outcomes. This article highlights the changes to the now published AJCC staging system for anal cancer, which: (1) redefined stage IIB as T1-T2N1M0 disease, (2) redefined stage IIIA as T3N0-N1M0 disease, and (3) eliminated stage 0 disease from its guidelines altogether.

Treatment of Anal High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions to Prevent Anal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of anal cancer is substantially higher among persons living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than in the general population. Similar to cervical cancer, anal cancer is preceded by high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). Treatment for cervical HSIL reduces progression to cervical cancer; however, data from prospective studies of treatment for anal HSIL to prevent anal cancer are lacking. METHODS: We conducted a phase 3 trial at 25 U.S. sites. Persons living with HIV who were 35 years of age or older and who had biopsy-proven anal HSIL were randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive either HSIL treatment or active monitoring without treatment. Treatment included office-based ablative procedures, ablation or excision under anesthesia, or the administration of topical fluorouracil or imiquimod. The primary outcome was progression to anal cancer in a time-to-event analysis. Participants in the treatment group were treated until HSIL was completely resolved. All the participants underwent high-resolution anoscopy at least every 6 months; biopsy was also performed for suspected ongoing HSIL in the treatment group, annually in the active-monitoring group, or any time there was concern for cancer. RESULTS: Of 4459 participants who underwent randomization, 4446 (99.7%) were included in the analysis of the time to progression to cancer. With a median follow-up of 25.8 months, 9 cases were diagnosed in the treatment group (173 per 100,000 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 90 to 332) and 21 cases in the active-monitoring group (402 per 100,000 person-years; 95% CI, 262 to 616). The rate of progression to anal cancer was lower in the treatment group than in the active-monitoring group by 57% (95% CI, 6 to 80; P = 0.03 by log-rank test). CONCLUSIONS: Among participants with biopsy-proven anal HSIL, the risk of anal cancer was significantly lower with treatment for anal HSIL than with active monitoring. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02135419.).

High Risk of New HPV Infection Acquisition Among Unvaccinated Young Men.

BACKGROUND: International data on anogenital HPV infection incidence among men are limited. METHODS: Incidence of incident-persistent (IP) anogenital HPV infections was evaluated among 295 men who have sex with men (MSM) and 1576 heterosexual men (HM) aged 16-27 years in the placebo arm of a global, multicenter 4-valent (4v) HPV vaccine trial. We estimated IP incidence (penile/scrotal, perineal/perianal, anal) for 4vHPV and 9-valent (9v) HPV vaccine types and cumulative IP incidence over 36 months. RESULTS: IP infection incidence per 100 person-years (95% CI) among HM for 4vHPV and 9vHPV types was 4.1 (3.5-4.9) and 6.8 (5.9-7.6) at penile/scrotal, and 1.2 (.8-1.6) and 1.9 (1.5-2.4) at perineal/perianal sites, respectively; and among MSM, IP infection incidence was 2.3 (1.3-3.8) and 3.2 (2.0-4.9) at penile/scrotal, 6.8 (4.9-9.2) and 9.0 (6.9-11.6) at perineal/perianal, and 12.0 (9.4-15.1) and 16.8 (13.7-20.2) at anal sites, respectively. Cumulative IP incidence over 36 months (excluding anal canal; any 9vHPV type) was higher among MSM versus HM (24.1% vs 18.4%). CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of unvaccinated men of catch-up vaccination age developed IP 9vHPV-related infections. Gender-neutral vaccination could decrease male HPV infection, contribute to herd protection, and reduce disease burden. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00090285.

Incidence, Clearance and Persistence of Penile High-Risk Human Papillomavirus among Rwandan Men who have Sex with Men.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about penile high-risk HPV among MSM in low-and-middle income countries. We aimed to determine the incidence, clearance and persistence of penile hrHPV among Rwandan MSM. METHODS: We enrolled 350 MSM (345 with valid HPV results), aged ≥18 years, at each visit (6-12 months apart), we collected penile PreservCyt specimens and blood for HPV and HIV testing, socio-demographic and behavioral variables. HPV testing was performed using the Ampfire assay. Penile hrHPV incidence and clearance/1,000 person-months of follow-up (PMF), prevalent- and incident-persistence were computed and compared by HIV status. RESULTS: The mean age was 27.7 ± 6.7 years and 19.4% were living with HIV. Penile hrHPV incidence was 34.8 (95% CI: 29.1, 41.8)/1,000 PMF. HPV16 (11.7, CI 9.26, 14.9) and HPV59 (6.1, CI 4.52, 8.39) had the highest incidence rates. Prevalent- and incident-persistence were 47.5% and 46.6%, respectively. HPV66 (33.3%), HPV52 (30.8%) and HPV16 (29.2%) had the highest prevalent-persistence and HPV33 (53.8%), HPV31 (46.7%) and HPV16 (42.6%) the highest incident-persistence. No differences were found by HIV status except for HPV45 (higher in MSM with HIV). CONCLUSION: We found high incidence and prevalent/incident-persistence of penile hrHPV among Rwandan MSM. This highlights the importance of preventive strategies for HPV-associated anogenital cancers.

Two-Year Incidence and Cumulative Risk and Predictors of Anal High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (Anal Precancer) Among Women With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

BACKGROUND: Detection and treatment of anal histologic high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (hHSIL) prevents anal cancer. However, anal hHSIL incidence among women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, WHIV) remains unknown. Performance of anal high-risk human papillomavirus ([hr]HPV), anal cytology (anal-cyt), and both for hHSIL detection longitudinally over 2 years also remains undetermined. METHODS: We determined 2-year incidence and cumulative risk estimates (2-y-CR) of anal hHSIL among WHIV using prevalence and incidence (per 100 person-years [py]) observations stratified by baseline hrHPV and/or anal-cyt results. RESULTS: In total, 229 WHIV with complete baseline data were included in the analysis; 114 women without prevalent anal hHSIL were followed with 2 annual evaluations. Median age was 51, 63% were Black, and 23% were Hispanic. Anal hrHPV or abnormal anal-cyt was associated with an increased risk of incident anal hHSIL at 2 years (18.9/100py [95% confidence interval {CI} 11.4-31.3] and 13.4/100py [95% CI 8.0-22.7], respectively) compared with no detection of anal HPV or negative cytology (2.8/100py [95% CI 1.1-7.4] and 4.2 [95% CI, 1.8-10.2]) The presence of anal hrHPV with abnormal cytology was associated with 2-y-CR of anal hHSIL of 65.6% (95% CI 55.4%-75%); negative hrHPV with negative cytology was associated with 2-y-CR of anal hHSIL of 9.2% (95% CI 7.0-16.0). CONCLUSIONS: Detection of anal hrHPV or abnormal anal cytology are comparable predictors for 2-y-CR of anal hHSIL. The absence of anal hrHPV combined with negative cytology was predictive of a lower (but measurable) risk of developing anal hHSIL. These findings provide important data to inform anal cancer screening guidelines for WHIV.

International Anal Neoplasia Society's consensus guidelines for anal cancer screening.

The International Anal Neoplasia Society (IANS) developed consensus guidelines to inform anal cancer screening use among various high-risk groups. Anal cancer incidence estimates by age among risk groups provided the basis to identify risk thresholds to recommend screening. Guided by risk thresholds, screening initiation at age 35 years was recommended for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) with HIV. For other people with HIV and MSM and TW not with HIV, screening initiation at age 45 years was recommended. For solid organ transplant recipients, screening initiation beginning from 10 years post-transplant was recommended. For persons with a history of vulvar precancer or cancer, screening initiation was recommended starting within 1 year of diagnosis of vulvar precancer or cancer. Persons aged ≥45 years with a history of cervical/vaginal HSIL or cancer, perianal warts, persistent (>1 year) cervical HPV16, or autoimmune conditions could be considered for screening with shared decision-making, provided there is adequate capacity to perform diagnostic procedures (high-resolution anoscopy [HRA]). Anal cytology, high-risk (hr) human papillomavirus (HPV) testing (including genotyping for HPV16), and hrHPV-cytology co-testing are different strategies currently used for anal cancer screening that show acceptable performance. Thresholds for referral for HRA or follow-up screening tests are delineated. These recommendations from IANS provide the basis to inform management of abnormal screening results, considering currently available screening tools. These guidelines provide a pivotal foundation to help generate consensus among providers and inform the introduction and implementation of risk-targeted screening for anal cancer prevention.

State of the science and future directions for research on HIV and cancer: Summary of a joint workshop sponsored by IARC and NCI.

An estimated 38 million people live with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) worldwide and are at excess risk for multiple cancer types. Elevated cancer risks in people living with HIV (PLWH) are driven primarily by increased exposure to carcinogens, most notably oncogenic viruses acquired through shared transmission routes, plus acceleration of viral carcinogenesis by HIV-related immunosuppression. In the era of widespread antiretroviral therapy (ART), life expectancy of PLWH has increased, with cancer now a leading cause of co-morbidity and death. Furthermore, the types of cancers occurring among PLWH are shifting over time and vary in their relative burden in different parts of the world. In this context, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) convened a meeting in September 2022 of multinational and multidisciplinary experts to focus on cancer in PLWH. This report summarizes the proceedings, including a review of the state of the science of cancer descriptive epidemiology, etiology, molecular tumor characterization, primary and secondary prevention, treatment disparities and survival in PLWH around the world. A consensus of key research priorities and recommendations in these domains is also presented.

Data-driven optimization of version 9 American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system for anal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system undergoes periodic revisions to maintain contemporary survival outcomes related to stage. Recently, the AJCC has developed a novel, systematic approach incorporating survival data to refine stage groupings. The objective of this study was to demonstrate data-driven optimization of the version 9 AJCC staging system for anal cancer assessed through a defined validation approach. METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients diagnosed with anal cancer in 2012 through 2017. Kaplan-Meier methods analyzed 5-year survival by individual clinical T category, N category, M category, and overall stage. Cox proportional hazards models validated overall survival of the revised TNM stage groupings. RESULTS: Overall, 24,328 cases of anal cancer were included. Evaluation of the 8th edition AJCC stage groups demonstrated a lack of hierarchical prognostic order. Survival at 5 years for stage I was 84.4%, 77.4% for stage IIA, and 63.7% for stage IIB; however, stage IIIA disease demonstrated a 73.0% survival, followed by 58.4% for stage IIIB, 59.9% for stage IIIC, and 22.5% for stage IV (p <.001). Thus, stage IIB was redefined as T1-2N1M0, whereas Stage IIIA was redefined as T3N0-1M0. Reevaluation of 5-year survival based on data-informed stage groupings now demonstrates hierarchical prognostic order and validated via Cox proportional hazards models. CONCLUSION: The 8th edition AJCC survival data demonstrated a lack of hierarchical prognostic order and informed revised stage groupings in the version 9 AJCC staging system for anal cancer. Thus, a validated data-driven optimization approach can be implemented for staging revisions across all disease sites moving forward.

Age-Specific Prevalence of Anal and Cervical Human Papillomavirus Infection and High-Grade Lesions in 11 177 Women by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Status: A Collaborative Pooled Analysis of 26 Studies.

BACKGROUND: Age-specific data on anal, and corresponding cervical, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are needed to inform female anal cancer prevention. METHODS: We centrally reanalyzed individual-level data from 26 studies reporting HPV prevalence in paired anal and cervical samples by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status and age. For women with HIV (WWH) with anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or worse (HSIL+), we also investigated concurrent cervical cytopathology. RESULTS: In HIV-negative women, HPV16 prevalence decreased significantly with age, both at anus (4.3% at 15-24 years to 1.0% at ≥55 years; ptrend = 0.0026) and cervix (7.4% to 1.7%; ptrend < 0.0001). In WWH, HPV16 prevalence decreased with age at cervix (18.3% to 7.2%; ptrend = 0.0035) but not anus (11.5% to 13.9%; ptrend = 0.5412). Given anal HPV16 positivity, concurrent cervical HPV16 positivity also decreased with age, both in HIV-negative women (ptrend = 0.0005) and WWH (ptrend = 0.0166). Among 48 WWH with HPV16-positive anal HSIL+, 27 (56%) were cervical high-risk HPV-positive, including 8 with cervical HPV16, and 5 were cervical HSIL+. CONCLUSIONS: Age-specific shifts in HPV16 prevalence from cervix to anus suggest that HPV infections in the anus persist longer, or occur later in life, than in the cervix, particularly in WWH. This is an important consideration when assessing the utility of cervical screening results to stratify anal cancer risk.

Incidence and Clearance of Anal Human Papillomavirus Infection in 16 164 Individuals, According to Human Immunodeficiency Virus Status, Sex, and Male Sexuality: An International Pooled Analysis of 34 Longitudinal Studies.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the natural history of anal high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection is key for designing anal cancer prevention programs but has not been systematically characterized. METHODS: We reanalyzed data from 34 studies including 16 164 individuals in 6 risk groups defined by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, sex, and male sexuality: men who have sex with men (MSM) and people with HIV (MSMWH), HIV-negative MSM, women with HIV (WWH), HIV-negative women, men who have sex with women (MSW) with HIV (MSWWH), and HIV-negative MSW. We used Markov models to estimate incidence and clearance of 13 hrHPV types and their determinants. RESULTS: Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 had the highest incidence-clearance ratio of the hrHPV types. MSMWH had the highest hrHPV incidence (eg, 15.5% newly HPV-16 infected within 2 years), followed by HIV-negative MSM (7.5%), WWH (6.6%), HIV-negative women (2.9%), MSWWH (1.7%), and HIV-negative MSW (0.7%). Determinants of HPV-16 incidence included HIV status and number of sexual partners for MSM, women, and MSW, and anal sex behavior for MSM only. HPV-16 clearance was lower for people with HIV (PWH) and lower for prevalent than incident infection. Among MSM, increasing age was associated with lower clearance of prevalent, but not incident, HPV-16 infection. CONCLUSIONS: This robust and unifying analysis of anal hrHPV natural history is essential to designing and predicting the impact of HPV vaccination and HPV-based screening programs on anal cancer prevention, particularly in MSM and PWH. Importantly, it demonstrates the higher carcinogenic potential of longstanding anal prevalent hrHPV infection than more recent incident infection.

Construct validity and responsiveness of a health-related symptom index for persons either treated or monitored for anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL): AMC-A01/-A03.

PURPOSE: To determine whether treatment of anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), vs active monitoring, is effective in reducing incidence of anal cancer in persons living with HIV, the US National Cancer Institute funded the Phase III ANal Cancer/HSIL Outcomes Research (ANCHOR) clinical trial. As no established patient-reported outcomes (PRO) tool exists for persons with anal HSIL, we sought to estimate the construct validity and responsiveness of the ANCHOR Health-Related Symptom Index (A-HRSI). METHODS: The construct validity phase enrolled ANCHOR participants who were within two weeks of randomization to complete A-HRSI and legacy PRO questionnaires at a single time point. The responsiveness phase enrolled a separate cohort of ANCHOR participants who were not yet randomized to complete A-HRSI at three time points: prior to randomization (T1), 14-70 (T2), and 71-112 (T3) days following randomization. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis techniques established a three-factor model (i.e., physical symptoms, impact on physical functioning, impact on psychological functioning), with moderate evidence of convergent validity and strong evidence of discriminant validity in the construct validity phase (n = 303). We observed a significant moderate effect for changes in A-HRSI impact on physical functioning (standardized response mean = 0.52) and psychological symptoms (standardized response mean = 0.60) from T2 (n = 86) to T3 (n = 92), providing evidence of responsiveness. CONCLUSION: A-HRSI is a brief PRO index that captures health-related symptoms and impacts related to anal HSIL. This instrument may have broad applicability in other contexts assessing individuals with anal HSIL, which may ultimately help improve clinical care and assist providers and patients with medical decision-making.

Anal Cancer Screening and Prevention: Summary of Evidence Reviewed for the 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sexually Transmitted Infection Guidelines.

In June 2019 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) convened an advisory group to assist in development of the 2021 CDC sexually transmitted infections (STI) guidelines. The advisory group on anal cancer screening and prevention met to formulate key questions in this field. The group examined published literature and abstracts to assess evidence and give recommendations for development of the CDC guidelines. This article summarizes key questions, evidence, recommendations, and areas for further research for the screening, diagnosis, and prevention of anal cancer.

Anogenital Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection, Seroprevalence, and Risk Factors for HPV Seropositivity Among Sexually Active Men Enrolled in a Global HPV Vaccine Trial.

BACKGROUND: In men, the incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancer is rising, but data regarding male HPV infection and seroprevalence are available from only a few countries. METHODS: This analysis of a global HPV vaccine trial evaluated baseline data from 1399 human immunodeficiency virus-negative heterosexual men (HM) and men who have sex with men (MSM). Key objectives included assessment of HPV prevalence and risk factors for seropositivity to 9-valent HPV (9vHPV) vaccine types (6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58), and concordance between seropositivity and prevalent HPV type. RESULTS: Overall, 455 of 3463 HM (13.1%) and 228 of 602 MSM (37.9%) were HPV DNA positive for any 9vHPV vaccine type at baseline. Infection prevalence and seroprevalence (≥1 9vHPV vaccine type) were 13.2% and 8.1%, respectively, among 333 HM from Europe, and 37.9% and 29.9%, respectively, among 335 MSM from Europe or North America. Among men with baseline infection, MSM had higher seroprevalence for concordant HPV types (39.5% vs 10.8% in HM). The seropositivity risk (irrespective of baseline infection status) was higher among MSM versus HM (age-adjusted odds ratio, 3.0 [95% confidence interval, 2.4-6.4]). Among MSM, statistically significant seropositivity risk factors included younger age at sexual debut, higher number of receptive anal sex partners, and less frequent condom use. No factors assessed were associated with seropositivity in HM. CONCLUSIONS: Higher proportions of MSM than HM were HPV DNA positive and seropositive, and concordance between HPV DNA positivity and seropositivity, a potential marker of true infection versus carriage, was higher in MSM. Most MSM and HM were seronegative for all 9vHPV vaccine types, suggesting the potential benefit of catch-up vaccination after sexual debut.Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00090285.

A nationwide longitudinal study on risk factors for progression of anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 to anal cancer.

Little is known about risk factors for progression of high-grade anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) to anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC). In this large, population-based study, we assess the role of factors related to immune status for the risk of ASCC among individuals from the general population with a diagnosis of AIN3. Individuals diagnosed with AIN3 during 1985-2016 were identified in the Danish Pathology Registry and followed for subsequent development of ASCC. The study population was linked to the National Patient Registry, the Danish Prescription Registry and the Danish HIV Cohort Study for information on autoimmune disease, genital warts and HIV status. To study the progression rate, Cox regression models with hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were applied with time since AIN3 as the underlying time scale and with adjustment for age at AIN3 diagnosis, year of AIN3 diagnosis and sex. The study population comprised 1222 individuals with AIN3 contributing 12 824 person-years of follow-up. Ninety-seven individuals (7.9%) developed ASCC. Individuals registered with an autoimmune disease or genital warts before and/or after the AIN3 diagnosis had an increased rate of progression to ASCC compared to individuals without these conditions. People living with HIV had a higher progression rate than HIV-negative individuals (HR = 4.25; 95% CI: 1.87-9.65) with the highest progression rate among those with CD4 count ≤200 cells/µL. These associations may be caused by an interplay between HPV infection and immunosuppression.

Evaluating the Jaccard Similarity Index as a Persistence Measure of Multiple Anal Human Papillomavirus Among Nigerian Men Who Have Sex With Men.

BACKGROUND: Multiple anal human papillomavirus (HPVs) may increase the risk of anal cancer among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The Jaccard Similarity Index (JSI) was explored as a measure of multiple HPV persistence. METHODS: The TRUST/RV368 cohort enrolled MSM living with and without HIV in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria. Participants with anal swabs at baseline, 3- and 12-month visits were tested for high- and low-risk HPVs using a next-generation sequencing assay. Persistence of the same HPV genotypes over time was calculated using the JSI and categorized into high, medium, and low similarity tertiles. Factors associated with higher versus lower similarity were estimated with multivariable ordinal logistic regression and reported as adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Of the 225 participants, median age was 25 years (interquartile range, 22-29 years), 62% were living with HIV, median HPVs was 3 (interquartile range, 2-5), and HPV6 (28%), HPV16 (26%), HPV11 (23%), and HPV45 (20%) were most prevalent. Fifty-three percent of participants had highly similar HPVs at 3 months, and the similarity was associated with HIV (aOR, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.6-5.9) and recent receptive sex (aOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0-3.5). By 12 months, 20% had highly similar HPVs, and it was associated with 12 years or longer since anal coital debut (aOR, 6.8; 95% CI, 3.1-5.2), self-reported genital warts (aOR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.5-6.6), and 200 or less CD4 cells/mm3 (aOR, 13.3; 95% CI, 2.7-65.2) for those living with HIV. CONCLUSIONS: Studies evaluating the JSI as a predictor of high-grade intraepithelial lesions would further confirm its applicability as a quantitative measure of multiple HPV persistence.

"The problem is that our culture is just so messed up about aging." Recruiting older men who have sex with men (MSM) into research studies: an example from a study of aging, HIV, and anal HPV.

BACKGROUND: Anal human papillomavirus (HPV) disproportionately affects men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly those who are older and those living with HIV. After experiencing difficulty recruiting older MSM into a study on aging and anal HPV, we conducted a sub-study to gain feedback on our recruitment methods and explore barriers and facilitators to participating in anal HPV research. METHODS: We conducted focus groups with 30 men who have sex with men (MSM), both HIV-negative and MSM living with HIV, ages 50-75. RESULTS: We identified multiple themes that were barriers to participation including: (1) lack of knowledge about human papillomavirus and anal cancer; (2) research focused on anal cancer or discomfort with topics or procedures concerning the anus; (3) stigma including stigma associated with being men who have sex with men, being out, being a receptive partner, and being considered "older" in the gay community; and (4) confidentiality concerns including a fear of breach of confidentiality. Facilitators to participation were also identified; these motivational factors include altruism, wanting recommendations from a doctor, and desire to receive the best available care. CONCLUSION: Researchers seeking to enroll older men who have sex with men should be aware of these barriers and facilitators to participation in order to maximize recruitment.

Risk of Anal High-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions Among Renal Transplant Recipients Compared With Immunocompetent Controls.

BACKGROUND: Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) have increased risk of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers, including anal cancer. We investigated the prevalence of anal high-grade intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) in RTRs compared with immunocompetent controls and risk factors for anal HSIL in RTRs. METHODS: We included 247 RTRs and 248 controls in this cross-sectional study. We obtained anal samples for HPV testing with INNO-LiPA and performed high-resolution anoscopy on all participants. The participants completed a questionnaire on lifestyle and sexual habits. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of histologically confirmed anal HSIL in RTRs vs controls and risk factors for anal HSIL in RTRs, stratified by sex and anal high-risk (hr) HPV status, adjusting for age, smoking, lifetime sexual partners, and receptive anal sex. RESULTS: RTRs had higher anal HSIL prevalence than controls, both among men (6.5% vs 0.8%; adjusted OR [aOR], 11.21 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.46-291.17]) and women (15.4% vs 4.0%; aOR, 6.41 [95% CI, 2.14-24.10]). Among those with anal hrHPV, RTRs had higher anal HSIL prevalence than controls (33.8% vs 9.5%; aOR, 6.06 [95% CI, 2.16-20.27]). Having had receptive anal sex (aOR, 6.23 [95% CI, 2.23-19.08]) or genital warts (aOR, 4.21 [95% CI, 1.53-11.48]) were risk factors for anal HSIL in RTRs. All HSIL cases occurred in individuals with anal hrHPV. CONCLUSIONS: RTRs had increased risk of anal HSIL compared with immunocompetent controls, with particularly high prevalence in female RTRs. Receptive anal sex, previous genital warts, and anal hrHPV infection were risk factors for anal HSIL in RTRs. Screening for anal HSIL in RTRs should be considered. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT03018927.

High Prevalence of Anal High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions, and Prevention Through Human Papillomavirus Vaccination, in Young Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk for human papillomavirus (HPV)-related anal cancer. Little is known about the prevalence of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs) and the anal cancer precursor, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), among young MSM with HIV (MSMLWH). HPV vaccination is recommended in this group, but its safety, immunogenicity, and protection against vaccine-type HPV infection and associated LSILs/HSILs have not been studied. METHODS: Two hundred and sixty MSMLWH aged 18-26 years were screened at 17 US sites for a clinical trial of the quadrivalent (HPV6,11,16,18) HPV (qHPV) vaccine. Those without HSILs were vaccinated at 0, 2, and 6 months. Cytology, high-resolution anoscopy with biopsies of lesions, serology, and HPV testing of the mouth/penis/scrotum/anus/perianus were performed at screening/month 0 and months 7, 12, and 24. RESULTS: Among 260 MSMLWH screened, the most common reason for exclusion was detection of HSILs in 88/260 (34%). 144 MSMLWH were enrolled. 47% of enrollees were previously exposed to HPV16. No incident qHPV type-associated anal LSILs/HSILs were detected among men naive to that type, compared with 11.1, 2.2, 4.5, and 2.8 cases/100 person-years for HPV6,11,16,18-associated LSILs/HSILs, respectively, among those previously exposed to that type. qHPV was immunogenic and safe with no vaccine-associated serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: 18-26-year-old MSMLWH naive to qHPV vaccine types were protected against incident qHPV type-associated LSILs/HSILs. Given their high prevalence of HSILs, there is an urgent need to vaccinate young MSMLWH before exposure to vaccine HPV types, before initiating sexual activity, and to perform catch-up vaccination.

Primary HPV and Molecular Cervical Cancer Screening in US Women Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

BACKGROUND: Primary human papillomavirus (HPV) screening (PHS) utilizes oncogenic human papillomavirus (oncHPV) testing as the initial cervical cancer screening method and typically, if positive, additional reflex-triage (eg, HPV16/18-genotyping, Pap testing). While US guidelines support PHS usage in the general population, PHS has been little studied in women living with HIV (WLWH). METHODS: We enrolled n = 865 WLWH (323 from the Women's Interagency HIV Study [WIHS] and 542 from WIHS-affiliated colposcopy clinics). All participants underwent Pap and oncHPV testing, including HPV16/18-genotyping. WIHS WLWH who tested oncHPV[+] or had cytologic atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance or worse (ASC-US+) underwent colposcopy, as did a random 21% of WLWH who were oncHPV[-]/Pap[-] (controls). Most participants additionally underwent p16/Ki-67 immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: Mean age was 46 years, median CD4 was 592 cells/µL, 95% used antiretroviral therapy. Seventy WLWH had histologically-determined cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or greater (CIN-2+), of which 33 were defined as precancer (ie, [i] CIN-3+ or [ii] CIN-2 if concurrent with cytologic high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions [HSILs]). PHS had 87% sensitivity (Se) for precancer, 9% positive predictive value (PPV), and a 35% colposcopy referral rate (Colpo). "PHS with reflex HPV16/18-genotyping and Pap testing" had 84% Se, 16% PPV, 30% Colpo. PHS with only HPV16/18-genotyping had 24% Colpo. "Concurrent oncHPV and Pap Testing" (Co-Testing) had 91% Se, 12% PPV, 40% Colpo. p16/Ki-67 immunochemistry had the highest PPV, 20%, but 13% specimen inadequacy. CONCLUSIONS: PHS with reflex HPV16/18-genotyping had fewer unnecessary colposcopies and (if confirmed) could be a potential alternative to Co-Testing in WLWH.

Prevalence of oral human papillomavirus infection among Indian HIV-positive men who have sex with men: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been causally linked to a subset of oropharyngeal cancers in Western populations, and both oropharyngeal cancer and oral HPV infection are increased among HIV-positive individuals. India has high incidences of oral and oropharyngeal cancers, and Indian HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) may be at increased risk of developing oropharyngeal cancers. However, there is little information available on the prevalence of oral HPV in this population. METHODS: We tested 302 HIV-positive Indian MSM for oral HPV infection using L1 HPV DNA PCR with probes specific for 29 types and a mixture of 10 additional types. CD4+ level and plasma HIV viral load (VL) were measured. Participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire including a sexual history. RESULTS: The prevalence of oral HPV was 23.7% (95% CI: 19-29%) and 2.4% of participants had oncogenic HPV types. No participants had oral HPV type 16 (HPV-16) and the prevalence of other anogenital HPV types was low. Participants with higher CD4+ levels had reduced odds of having any oral HPV infection (OR: 3.1 [1.4-6.9]) in multivariable analyses. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of oral HPV among Indian HIV-positive MSM. Our results show a high prevalence of oral HPV infection consistent with studies from Western populations. However, oncogenic anogenital HPV types were relatively uncommon in our study population. It is unknown what the impact of this distribution of oral HPV will be on oropharyngeal cancers. HIV-positive MSM in India should be monitored closely for oral and oropharyngeal pre-cancer and cancer.