Role of radiotherapy in the treatment of epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma: experience with sixty-five cases.

BACKGROUND

Treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) associated with HIV infection should improve often disfiguring lesions, with an acceptable cosmetic outcome; relieve associated signs and symptoms (pain and edema); and have no adverse effects on the patient's already impaired immune status.

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to determine the role of x-ray therapy in the treatment of KS.

METHODS

Contact x-ray therapy and half-deep x-ray therapy were used to treat 594 lesions in 65 patients with KS, who were observed for 1 to 43 months (mean, 9 months).

RESULTS

Complete remission was achieved with pigmentation in 405 lesions (68.3%), with good cosmetic results in 105 (17.7%), and with hypopigmentation in three (0.5%). In 80 lesions (13.5%) only size reduction or pain palliation were achieved. Fourteen lesions (2.4%) relapsed 2 to 9 months after treatment.

CONCLUSION

X-ray therapy is well tolerated and meets the specified requirements for the treatment of KS.