Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for cancer patients infected with HIV: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy represents a breakthrough in cancer treatment. However, clinical trials of ICI have usually excluded people living with HIV (PLWH). The efficacy and safety data of ICI in PLWH is scarce. METHODS: Literature on the efficacy and safety of ICI in PLWH with advanced cancers and on the role in decreasing HIV reservoir were searched via PubMed. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty patients were identified. The most commonly used ICIs are nivolumab (48.5%) and pembrolizumab (36.9%). The most common malignancy in this population analyzed in this review is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, 43.1%). The control rates of ICIs observed for PLWH with advanced NSCLC was consistent with that reported for general population. In this analysis, ICI therapy was generally well tolerated, with grade 3 or higher adverse events in 15 of 130 patients (11.5%) and has not deleterious effects on HIV virologic control. ICI has also shown a role in decreasing HIV reservoir. CONCLUSIONS: The review shows that ICI appears to be feasible in this specific population. Efficacy and tolerability seemed to be comparable with that of general population with advanced cancers

• Population(s)
  • General HIV+ population
• Prevention
  • Biomedical interventions
• Co-morbidities
  • Cancer