Advanced epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma: treatment with bleomycin or combination of doxorubicin, bleomycin, and vincristine.
BACKGROUND
Systemic chemotherapy is a treatment modality in the management of epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma (EKS). We conducted a prospective trial to compare bleomycin as a single agent with a regimen of low-dose doxorubicin, bleomycin, and vincristine (ABV) in patients with advanced EKS.


METHODS
Twenty-four homosexual or bisexual patients, between 21 and 40 years old, with positive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test for HIV and extensive EKS were included in the study. Half of the patients received bleomycin alone and the other half ABV.


RESULTS
A total of seven patients achieved stable disease (SD) and five progressed during bleomycin treatment. A total of four patients achieved partial remission and eight SD during ABV treatment. There was no survival benefit between either arm of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Bleomycin alone is not a good starting agent for EKS, whereas ABV seems to be a good choice, because it can produce an acceptable palliation of advanced EKS without major toxicity.
Department of Medicine, Vargas Medical School, Hospital Vargas, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
D E
DE
Hernández
J R
JR
Pérez
D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D001761:Bleomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin