title: Cancer Knowledge and Opportunities for Education Among HIV-Infected Patients in an Urban Academic Medical Center.
abstract: HIV-infected patients frequently present with advanced stage cancer. It is possible that late stage presentation may be related to lack of cancer knowledge and/or barriers to care. Questionnaires were administered to 285 adult HIV-infected patients to evaluate knowledge of cancer risk factors and symptoms and barriers to care between 2011 and 2012. Differences in mean and percent scores by group were assessed using a t test for independent samples and chi-square analysis, respectively. Respondents were predominantly male (64%), African-American (86%), and low income (60% < $10,000/year). Thirty-four (12%) had been diagnosed with cancer, and 169 (59%) had a family history of cancer. The mean knowledge score was 17.5 out of 24 questions (73%). Mean scores were not significantly different by sex, age, race, or income. Respondents with a college education scored significantly higher than those with less than a high school education (p < 0.01). In unadjusted analysis, a higher proportion of patients with a personal/family history of cancer (74%) scored in the highest quartile (>70% correct) compared to those without any personal history of cancer (62%) (p = 0.03). There was a higher level of cancer knowledge in this population compared to studies that have evaluated the HIV-uninfected population. Nevertheless, there were knowledge deficits, suggesting the need for further education about cancer to improve earlier detection rates and, ultimately, outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Virology and Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 725 W. Lombard St. N552, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA, lfisher@umm.edu.
authors.forename: Lydia H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Kristen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Stafford
authors.forename: Lori E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Fantry
authors.forename: Bruce L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Gilliam
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Riedel
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000821:virology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult