Some patients with Kaposi’s sarcoma have noted spontaneous and lasting remissions following discontinuation of immunosuppressive therapy. In managing these patients, if immunosuppressive therapy is not critical, its discontinuation is a reasonable first step.

STANDARD TREATMENT OPTIONS:

1. Discontinue immunosuppressive therapy (often results in tumor regression). This option is critically important in patients who are receiving immunosuppressive drugs, as in the case of certain transplant patients.
2. Radiation therapy (for disease limited to skin).[1,2,3,4]
3. Chemotherapy, single or multiple drug: Most systemic chemotherapy trials in Kaposi’s sarcoma patients have been carried out in the African and epidemic varieties. See the section on the treatment of Epidemic Kaposi’s Sarcoma. The applicability of the results of these trials to Kaposi’s sarcoma in immunosuppressed patients is unknown.

References:

1. Cohen L: Dose, time, and volume parameters in irradiation therapy of Kaposi's sarcoma. Br J Radiol 35(415): 485-488, 1962.
2. Hamilton CR, Cummings BJ, Harwood AR: Radiotherapy of Kaposi's sarcoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 12 (11): 1931-5, 1986.
3. Lo TC, Salzman FA, Smedal MI, et al.: Radiotherapy for Kaposi's sarcoma. Cancer 45 (4): 684-7, 1980.
4. Nisce LZ, Safai B, Poussin-Rosillo H: Once weekly total and subtotal skin electron beam therapy for Kaposi's sarcoma. Cancer 47 (4): 640-4, 1981.