Revised April 2000

General Information / Anatomy / Function / Statistics

• A kind of skin cancer named after Dr. Kaposi    
• Used to be extremely rare occurring in older people of Russian-Jewish, Italian and African extraction, and this older form of Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS) still exists    
• Lately there has been a significant increase of a more virulent form associated with AIDS    
• The new form is associated with a generalized abnormality in the immune systems, making them subject to unusual viral and protazoan infections    
• The new form is caused by Herpes virus 8 infection    
• Men are affected over twice as much as women    
• These tumors have rich networks of small blood vessels    
• The classic Kaposi's sarcoma usually occurs in the elderly, usually over 70 years old

Diagnosis

• Careful physical examination of all organ systems       
• Usually made by skin biopsy

Types 

• Nodular lesions - purple, sometimes have a halo of brown or yellow pigment around       
• Infiltrating lesions - raised and grow downward beneath the skin       
• Lymphatic lesions

Etiology

• Human herpes virus type 8 virus is seen in almost all cases       
• Epidemic KS is the result of altered body immunity, HHV-8       
• The risk of epidemic KS is higher among homosexual men       
• Epidemic KS is associated with AIDS

Prevention

• No prevention for classic form of KS      
• Prevention of HIV infection through condom use, lifestyle change

Symptoms

• Classic KS is mainly of the lower extremities       
• May be associated with fever       
• Feelings of fatigue       
• Enlarged lymph glands       
• Individual may feel perfectly well       
• Weight loss

Treatment

Traditional Kaposi's Sarcoma: Early Cases: 

• Surgical biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis         
• Radiotherapy may be very effective for either individual lesion or regions         
• Widespread lesions may be controlled effectively by local injections of chemotherapy         
• Most commonly used drug is Vinblastine given intravenously weekly         
• Vincristine may be used but has slower response rate than Vinblastine

AIDS associated Kaposi's Sarcoma 

• Cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen) is usually effective at removing small skin lesions. The treatment of skin lesions does not prevent new KS lesions         
• X-ray therapy is also usually effective in the treatment of skin lesions         
• Chemotherapy (systemic) may provide for some control of the KS         
• Lesions sometimes regress if the AIDS is being treated.

Prognosis

• Traditional Kaposi's sarcoma tends to run a very long and variable course. Life expectation is often decades         
• AIDS associated KS is more rapidly progressive. In spite of this, the main threat to health is the AIDS rather than the KS