title: Outcomes of patients with Kaposi's sarcoma who start antiretroviral therapy under routine programme conditions in Malawi.
abstract: AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most common AIDS-related malignancy in sub-Saharan Africa, with a generally unfavourable prognosis. We report on six-month and 12-month cohort treatment outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive KS patients and HIV-positive non-KS patients treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) in public sector facilities in Malawi. Data were collected from standardized antiretroviral (ARV) patient master cards and ARV patient registers. Between July and September 2005, 7905 patients started ART-488 (6%) with a diagnosis of KS and 7417 with a non-KS diagnosis. Between January and March 2005, 4580 patients started ART-326 (7%) with a diagnosis of KS and 4254 with a non-KS diagnosis. At six-months and 12-months, significantly fewer KS patients were alive and significantly more had died or defaulted compared to non-KS patients. HIV-positive KS patients on ART in Malawi have worse outcomes than other patients on ART. Methods designed to improve these outcomes must be found.
authors.affiliation: Clinical HIV Unit, Ministry of Health, Lilongwe, Malawi.
authors.forename: Simon D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Makombe
authors.forename: Anthony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Harries
authors.forename: Joseph Kwong-Leung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Mindy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hochgesang
authors.forename: Eustice
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mhango
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weigel
authors.forename: Olesi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pasulani
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Erik J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Schouten
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Libamba
mesh_terms: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000401:mortality*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents