People Living with HIV Eligibility in Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials

<b>Background:</b> People living with HIV (PLWH) have historically been excluded from cancer clinical trials, prompting the 2017 ASCO-Friends of Cancer Research recommendations to limit unjustified exclusions and promote equitable access. This study evaluated how Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) protocols align with these recommendations. <b>Methods:</b> We conducted a cross-sectional review of CCTG active trial protocols, abstracting HIV eligibility language and trial characteristics, and assessing associations using Chi-square tests. <b>Results:</b> Of 136 trials activated between 1999 and 2025, 81.6% involved solid tumors, 63.2% systemic therapy interventions, and 61.5% phase III designs. PLWH were included, not mentioned or excluded in 49/136 (36%), 55/136 (40.4%) and 32/136 (23.5%) respectively, with justification in 7/32 (21.9%). In multivariable analyses, exclusion was more likely in trials of immune checkpoint blockade therapy (<i>p</i> = 0.039) and those with industry support (<i>p</i> = 0.014). Adjusted models showed that both industry sponsorship and immune checkpoint blockade independently reduced HIV trial inclusion. <b>Conclusions:</b> Most CCTG-associated trials were inclusive or neutral toward PLWH; however, a proportion still excluded them, often without justification. This first national assessment evaluating adoption of ASCO Friends of Cancer Research-HIV guidance establishes a Canadian benchmark for equitable trial design and future research as both cancer and HIV therapies continue to evolve.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Current Oncology
Published
2026-02-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol33020102
Primary Topic
Ethics in Clinical Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

People Living with HIV Eligibility in Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials

Santiago Pérez-Patrigeón, Bingshu E. Chen, Annette E. Hay, Tessa Senneker et al.
Current Oncology
Ethics in Clinical Research
article

People Living with HIV Eligibility in Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials

Santiago Pérez-Patrigeón, Bingshu E. Chen, Annette E. Hay, Tessa Senneker, Maria Florencia Comelles, Anna Johnson, Lisa K. Hicks
article en

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> People living with HIV (PLWH) have historically been excluded from cancer clinical trials, prompting the 2017 ASCO-Friends of Cancer Research recommendations to limit unjustified exclusions and promote equitable access. This study evaluated how Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) protocols align with these recommendations. <b>Methods:</b> We conducted a cross-sectional review of CCTG active trial protocols, abstracting HIV eligibility language and trial characteristics, and assessing associations using Chi-square tests. <b>Results:</b> Of 136 trials activated between 1999 and 2025, 81.6% involved solid tumors, 63.2% systemic therapy interventions, and 61.5% phase III designs. PLWH were included, not mentioned or excluded in 49/136 (36%), 55/136 (40.4%) and 32/136 (23.5%) respectively, with justification in 7/32 (21.9%). In multivariable analyses, exclusion was more likely in trials of immune checkpoint blockade therapy (<i>p</i> = 0.039) and those with industry support (<i>p</i> = 0.014). Adjusted models showed that both industry sponsorship and immune checkpoint blockade independently reduced HIV trial inclusion. <b>Conclusions:</b> Most CCTG-associated trials were inclusive or neutral toward PLWH; however, a proportion still excluded them, often without justification. This first national assessment evaluating adoption of ASCO Friends of Cancer Research-HIV guidance establishes a Canadian benchmark for equitable trial design and future research as both cancer and HIV therapies continue to evolve.

Current OncologyVol. 33(2)
St. Michael's Hospital (CA), Queen's University (CA), Kingston General Hospital (CA), Kingston Health Sciences Centre (CA), University of Manitoba (CA)
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 66%
Ethics in Clinical Research
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

People Living with HIV Eligibility in Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials — Santiago Pérez-Patrigeón, Bingshu E. Chen, et al. · Current Oncology (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS