Treatment and Prevention
Treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma can be difficult due to the immunosuppressed state of many of the people who are affected. These people are at a high risk of infections from procedures. Your doctor will recommend treatment based on your general health as well as on where and how extensive the lesions are and how many there are.
Generally, most cancers are treated by physical removal of the tumor or lesion (cryotherapy in this case), chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination. For people with AIDS, anti-HIV medications are used against the virus. This can improve the person's overall health and help treat Kaposi's sarcoma.
For skin lesions, some possible treatments are:
- cryotherapy: Cryotherapy is a procedure that uses liquid nitrogen or other cryogens to freeze tissue. In cases of Kaposi's sarcoma, a doctor might freeze the lesions to destroy them.
- locoregional therapy: Locoregional therapy involves injecting chemotherapy agents directly into the Kaposi's sarcoma lesions.
- radiation therapy: Direct radiation therapy is another option to treat for the lesions. This involves aiming radiation directly at the spots. Some side effects associated with radiation include:
- fatigue
- red, dry skin at the radiation site
- nausea and vomiting
- decreased appetite
- diarrhea
If the Kaposi's sarcoma has advanced and affects the internal organs, other therapies might include:
- interferon: Some success has been found using high-dose interferon. The use is limited to certain people, however, because it's a very toxic treatment.
- chemotherapy: Like many cancers, chemotherapy is an option in treating Kaposi's sarcoma. Because this treatment is systemic (i.e., it affects many systems in the body) or generalized, many side effects can occur. Most chemotherapy medications are given by intravenous drip (IV), but some can be taken by mouth. Some common side effects of chemotherapy include:
- nausea and vomiting
- hair loss
- fatigue
- diarrhea
- chills
- shortness of breath
- coughing
- mouth sores
Because Kaposi's sarcoma is likely caused by an interaction between immune suppression and exposure to the sexually transmitted infection of HHV 8, the precautions taken against other sexually transmitted infections should also be taken to try to prevent Kaposi's sarcoma.
Practicing safer sex can also protect you from becoming infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Since AIDS increases the risk of Kaposi's sarcoma, practicing safer sex can help reduce your risk of this cancer.
Janet Lin, MD, Infectious Diseases specialist in Livingston, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.