Kaposi’s sarcoma is a cancer of the cells lining blood or lymph vessels, identified by purplish or reddish-brown lesions on the skin. It is caused by the Kaposi’s sarcoma herpes virus and is often associated with AIDS. There are four types of KS, and treatment options include radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy.
Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is cancer of the cells lining the lymph or blood vessels. The disease is identified by purplish or reddish-brown lesions that form on the patient’s skin and typically spread to major organs and orifices, especially the mouth, nose, and anus. These lesions often form without additional symptoms, and while they appear painful, they don’t normally cause any discomfort. Kaposi’s sarcoma is a strain of Kaposi’s sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV) and is named after Dr. Moritz Kaposi, who first studied it in 1872.
In recent years, Kaposi’s sarcoma has been more closely connected with those with AIDS and is one of the first telltale signs of the person officially having AIDS as opposed to just being HIV positive. A healthy immune system is normally able to fight off KS, but the weakened immune system of an AIDS patient is unable to fight off the KSHV viral cells. Kaposi’s sarcoma further reduces the patient’s immune system, causing it to stop functioning. Many patients have the visible lesions removed for cosmetic reasons, although they may return.
The lesions that form are actually malignant tumors. In other words, cancer cells can and will spread to other parts of the body. Currently, there are no preventive treatments available for Kaposi’s sarcoma, just as there are no self-exams or biopsies that can catch it early, as with many other forms of cancer.
There are four ways KS is usually treated: radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy. Many doctors are hesitant to attempt chemotherapy due to the potentially damaging effects it can have on a patient’s already delicate immune system. Immunotherapy uses interferons, which are substances that help strengthen the body’s immune system, to help the body fight off the virus. In those with epidemic KS, antiviral drugs are used to fight the AIDS virus and are combined with other methods to fight the KSHV virus.
There are four main types of KS. Epidemic or AIDS-related Kaposi is the disease that occurs in people who have AIDS. Classical or Mediterranean affects older adults of Mediterranean, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern descent, usually men. Endemic (African) affects residents of Equatorial Africa who are not HIV-positive or affected by AIDS. Iatrogenic Kaposi’s sarcoma is the third group and is also called transplant-associated KS and is found in those who have had an organ transplant and, as a result, have a suppressed immune system to prevent rejection.
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