| Kaposi's Sarcoma |
Types |
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Classic Kaposi's sarcoma is a rare disease that gets worse slowly over many years. It is found most often in older men of Italian or Eastern European Jewish origin. Symptoms of classic Kaposi's sarcoma may include one or more red, purple, or brown skin lesions on the legs and feet, most often on the ankles or soles of the feet. Over time, lesions may form in other parts of the body, such as the stomach, intestines, or lymph nodes. The lesions may grow in size and number over a period of 10 years or more. Pressure from the lesions may block the flow of lymph and blood in the legs and cause painful swelling. Lesions in the digestive tract may cause gastrointestinal bleeding. Some patients with classic Kaposi's sarcoma may develop another type of cancer before the Kaposi's sarcoma lesions appear or later in life. Most often, this second cancer is non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Frequent follow-up is needed to watch for these second cancers. African Kaposi's sarcoma is a fairly common form of the disease found in young adult males who live near the equator in Africa. Symptoms of African Kaposi's sarcoma can be the same as classic Kaposi's sarcoma. However, African Kaposi's sarcoma can also be found in a much more aggressive form that may cause sores on the skin and spread from the skin to the tissues to the bone. Another form of Kaposi's sarcoma that is common in young children in Africa does not affect the skin but spreads through the lymph nodes to vital organs, and quickly becomes fatal. Immunosuppressive treatment-related Kaposi's sarcoma Immunosuppressive treatment-related Kaposi's sarcoma is found in patients who have had an organ transplant (for example, a kidney, heart, or liver transplant). These patients take drugs to keep their immune systems from attacking the new organ. When the body's immune system is weakened by these drugs, diseases like Kaposi's sarcoma can develop. Immunosuppressive treatment-related Kaposi's sarcoma often affects only the skin, but may also occur in the mucous membranes or other organs. Epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma occurs in patients who have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which attacks and weakens the immune system. When the body's immune system is weakened by HIV, infections and cancers like Kaposi's sarcoma can develop. Most cases of epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma in the United States have been diagnosed in homosexual or bisexual men with HIV infection. Symptoms of epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma include lesions on different parts of the body, including any of the following:
In most patients with epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma, the disease will spread to other parts of the body over time. Fever, weight loss, or diarrhea can occur. In the later stages of epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma, life-threatening infections are common. The use of drug therapy called HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) reduces the risk of epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma in HIV-infected patients. HAART is a combination of several drugs that block HIV and slow down the development of AIDS and AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma. Nonepidemic Gay-related Kaposi's Sarcoma There is a type of nonepidemic Kaposi's sarcoma that develops in homosexual men who have no signs or symptoms of HIV infection. This type of Kaposi's sarcoma progresses slowly, with new lesions appearing every few years. The lesions are most common on the arms, legs, and genitals, but can develop anywhere on the skin.
Reference: National Cancer Institute, USA.
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