Kaposi's Sarcoma

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), a type of soft tissue sarcoma, is characterized by lesions that usually first appear on the skin. Depending on the type of KS, it can sometimes involve the mucous membranes, such as those the inside of the mouth or inside the intestines, and can spread to other organs in the body such as the lungs.

Kaposi's sarcoma used to be a rare disease found mainly in older men and organ transplant recipients, and among central and east Africans. However, with the advent of AIDS, cases of KS increased dramatically.

There are four types of Kaposi's sarcoma: classic, African, transplant or immunosuppression-associated, and epidemic.

• Classic KS is seen most often in older men of Jewish or Mediterranean descent and is generally slow-growing and remains on the skin. Patients with this type of KS may have an increased risk of developing other types of cancer.
• The African forms of KS occur mostly in adults and children from central and east Africa and sometimes are more aggressive than classic KS.
• Transplant or immunosuppression-associated KS occurs in people taking medications that suppress their immune systems, and is most common in people who have undergone organ transplants, such as kidney transplants.
• Epidemic KS occurs in people with AIDS and often spreads faster and more widely in the body than the other forms of KS. (For more information, visit the AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma section of the Web site.)

Depending on the type, KS is treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatment, or biological therapy.