Advanced Kaposi's Sarcoma Research Articles

Chemotherapy in advanced Kaposi's sarcoma: Implications for current cases in homosexual men

Kaposi's sarcoma has recently appeared in an aggressive form in young, previously healthy, homosexual men. The disease in these patients corresponds most closely to disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma common in areas of Africa. This and the underlying acquired immune deficiency in the current patients in the United States affect the choice of appropriate therapy. Because Kaposi's sarcoma in these patients is rapidly progressive, it often requires aggressive systemic therapy, but this can be difficult given the patients' susceptibility to opportunistic infections. Reports from Africa suggest that Kaposi's sarcoma is very responsive to several chemotherapeutic agents, but these data must be interpreted cautiously because of problems in study design and differences between cases in Africa and the United States. This report reviews the clinical classification of Kaposi's sarcoma and the reported results of chemotherapy in patients with advanced disease. Implications of this experience in the treatment of recent cases in the United States are discussed.

Chemotherapy in advanced Kaposi's sarcoma. Implications for current cases in homosexual men : Volberding P, Conant MA, Stricker RB, Lewis BJ: Am J Med 1983; 74: 652–656

Chemotherapy in advanced Kaposi's sarcoma. Implications for current cases in homosexual men : Volberding P, Conant MA, Stricker RB, Lewis BJ: Am J Med 1983; 74: 652–656

Long-term complete remissions of Kaposi's sarcoma with vinblastine therapy

Four patients with advanced Kaposi's sarcoma who were treated with weekly vinblastine therapy achieved long-term remissions. Three patients are still in complete remission at two years, four years, and four years respectively, while the fourth achieved excellent partial remission lasting seven-and-one-half years. The regimen produced no toxicity. We suggest the use of vinblastine as a useful chemotherapeutic agent for Kaposi's sarcoma.

Letter: Chemotherapy for Kaposi sarcoma.

To Editor.— I read with great interest article Chemotherapy for Advanced Kaposi Sarcoma in theArchives(111:1331-1333, 1975) by Lanzotti et al. It was a well-written article that detailed combination chemotherapy of advanced Kaposi sarcoma. However, authors stated that their case represented the first verified response of visceral Kaposi sarcoma to chemotherapy reported in literature. I should like to point out that I reported two patients in 1974 ( Chest 66:522-525) who responded to chemotherapy with intravenously administered vinblastine. One patient had marked pulmonary infiltrates and other had pericardial involvement. While treatment was only palliative, both patients still experienced a marked regression of their disease with chemotherapy. Internal involvement in non-African Kaposi sarcoma is being recognized with increasing frequency, and experience with chemotherapy has been limited in this advanced stage of disease. Successful combination chemotherapy for internal involvement in Kaposi sarcoma as described by