Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1988. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
KAPOSI'S SARCOMA IN AIDS
AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and other Manifestations of HIV Infection. Wormser GP et al, eds. Park Ridge, NJ, Noyes Publications, p. 747-66, 1987.. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/88647010 Hymes KB; Dept. of Medicine, New York Univ. Sch. of Medicine, New York, NY
Abstract:
Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) has acquired new importance since the appearance of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This tumor, which in the US and Europe previously affected a very small number of elderly patients (pts) with moderate morbidity and mortality, has become a significant cause of illness and death among formerly healthy young pts. The epidemiology, pathology, clinical manifestations, natural history, prognosis and staging, and treatment for KS are discussed, with particular emphasis on AIDS-related KS. Surgical removal of lesions has only limited usefulness in AIDS-related KS. Radiotherapy can be used as a local palliative approach to this systemic disease; however, several unique complications of radiotherapy occur in pts with KS, depending on the site of the lesion. The African lymphadenopathic form of KS has responded to a variety of antineoplastic drugs, including triaziquone, actinomycin D, bleomycin, ICRF-159 (razoxane), and the combination of actinomycin D, vincristine, and dacarbazine. With pts having AIDS-related KS, response rates were high, but durations of responses were short. The high incidence of opportunistic infections in pts with AIDS-related KS has a strong negative impact on the results of chemotherapy trials. Attempts at immune stimulation with agents such as interferons, interleukin-2, imreg (an immunostimulatory substance derived from leukocytes), and a variety of pharmacologic interferon inducers have failed to yield responses approaching those obtained with conventional chemotherapeutic agents. None of the agents produced a sustained improvement in laboratory or clinical measurements of immune function. Physicians experienced in the care of pts with AIDS and KS have become familiar with the relentless progression of these disorders. Rapid progress in understanding AIDS compared to other viral diseases suggests that it is reasonable to expect that future clinical trials will introduce pharmacologic, immunologic, and molecular biologic advances into the treatment and eventual eradication of KS and AIDS. (69 Refs)
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*PATHOLOGY Human Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/PATHOLOGY Prognosis Sarcoma, Kaposi's/*PATHOLOGY Skin/PATHOLOGY Skin Neoplasms/*PATHOLOGY MONOGRAPH REVIEW, TUTORIAL REVIEW
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1988. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
