Dermatologic Manifestations of Kaposi Sarcoma Treatment & Management

Updated: Mar 29, 2023
  • Author: Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH; Chief Editor: Dirk M Elston, MD  more...
  • Print
Treatment

Consultations

Treating patients with advanced Kaposi sarcoma often requires a team approach, as follows:

  • Medical oncologists often administer systemic chemotherapy.

  • Radiation oncologists tend to favor radiotherapy options.

  • Infectious diseases/HIV specialists may be needed for HIV and opportunistic infections.

Next:

Prevention

Reducing the HHV-8 infection rate prevents Kaposi sarcoma development.

Suggestions have been made that some antiherpetic agents, particularly foscarnet, may lower the HHV-8 infection rate.

Screening transplant recipients for HHV-8 infection may be beneficial. [74, 75, 76, 77, 78] Testing donors and recipients for HHV-8 is difficult, as there are no validated commercial serology kits available; however, limited HHV-8 antibody testing is available through some US reference laboratories and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [79] Many US donors originate from groups at high risk of HHV-8 transmission to recipients.

Use of the highly active anti-HIV therapy (ie, HAART) appears to significantly reduce the risk of developing new Kaposi sarcoma. [35]

Previous
Next:

Long-Term Monitoring

Careful follow-up monitoring is essential for patients with Kaposi sarcoma (KS).

Previous