Occurrence, clinical behaviour and management of Kaposi's sarcoma in Zambia. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Occurrence, clinical behaviour and management of Kaposi's sarcoma in Zambia.

Cancer Surv. 1991;10:53-71. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/92331046
Bayley AC; Department of Surgery, University of Zambia, Lusaka.

Abstract: The incidence of HIV related KS has increased 50-fold since it was first recognized in Zambia in 1983. The mean age at diagnosis is 35 years for men and 28 years for women, with a sex ratio of M:F = 5:1. The most common symptoms and signs are weight loss, symmetrical lymphadenopathy, oral plaques, skin plaques in a central distribution, oedema and cough with dyspnoea. Biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis if disease is confined to lymph nodes. Objective regression occurs in 80% of patients receiving adequate doses of actinomycin D and vincristine (median survival time greater than 3 years for stage I or II disease and 7.5 months for stage III); epirubicin with vincristine was more effective in a phase II trial. Both treatments give good relief of symptoms, allowing patients to return to work. Clinical, histological and biological features of HIV related KS do not support conclusively its classification as a malignant tumour. Heterosexual and perinatal transmission of HIV in Africa ensures that KS affects families, not just individuals.
Keywords: Adult Antineoplastic Agents, Combined/*THERAPEUTIC USE Dactinomycin/ADMINISTRATION & DOSAGE Delivery of Health Care/METHODS Drug Evaluation Epirubicin/ADMINISTRATION & DOSAGE Female Human Incidence Male Neoplasm Staging Prognosis Quality of Health Care Sarcoma, Kaposi's/COMPLICATIONS/*DRUG THERAPY/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/ PATHOLOGY Skin Neoplasms/COMPLICATIONS/*DRUG THERAPY/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/ PATHOLOGY Vincristine/ADMINISTRATION & DOSAGE Zambia/EPIDEMIOLOGY CLINICAL TRIAL JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDadultantineoplasticagents,combined/KWDtherapeuticusedactinomycin/administration&dosagedeliveryofhealthcare/methodsdrugevaluationepirubicin/administration&dosagefemalehumanincidencemaleneoplasmstagingprognosisqualityofhealthcaresarcoma,kaposi's/complications/KWDdrugtherapy/KWDepidemiology/pathologyskinneoplasms/complications/KWDdrugtherapy/KWDepidemiology/pathologyvincristine/administration&dosagezambia/epidemiologyclinicaltrialjournalarticle
921030
M92A0978

Copyright © 1992 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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