Treatment of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related Kaposi's sarcoma with bleomycin as a single agent.
A nonrandomized trial was conducted to assess the efficiency and toxicity of bleomycin as a single agent in treatment of non-life-threatening AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Sixty patients were enrolled in this study. They all had a disseminated and progressive non-life-threatening AIDS-related KS associated with systemic symptoms and/or CD4 lymphocyte count less than 400/mm3. Thirty patients were treated with intramuscular bleomycin (5 mg/d for 3 days every 2 or 3 weeks) and 30 others with a slow continuous intravenous infusion of bleomycin (6 mg/m3/d for 4 days every 4 weeks). The mean duration of therapy was 5 months (range, 2 to 24 months). A partial response was observed in 29 patients (48.3%) and the disease was stabilized in 18 additional patients (30%). Bleomycin failed in 21.6% of patients. Therapy had to be discontinued in two patients because of side effects. Thus bleomycin as a single agent is a good alternative therapy for AIDS-related KS.
Service d'Immunohématologie et Immunopathologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.
K
K
Lassoued
J P
JP
Clauvel
C
C
Katlama
M
M
Janier
C
C
Picard
S
S
Matheron
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D000328:Adult; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D001761:Bleomycin