Apparent Lack of Occult HIV Infection Among Cancer Patients in the U.S.

Since 2006, the CDC has recommended routine, opt-out HIV testing in healthcare settings for all individuals aged 13 to 64. Investigators recently performed HIV testing at three oncology clinics in the U.S. to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection among patients with non–AIDS-defining cancers.

The 634 patients tested had a mean age of 53.2. Most were women (59.2%), white (76.5%), and insured (60.9% private, 20.1% Medicare), and most (51.3%) had never been tested for HIV. The most common malignancies among study participants were breast cancer (19.7%), colon cancer (10.3%), and melanoma (9.7%). None of the patients tested positive for HIV, for an estimated HIV prevalence of <0.3%.