Fifty-one Kaposi sarcoma patients.
BACKGROUND
Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a mesenchymal tumor originating from lymphatic endothelial cells. Immunosuppressive patients have higher risk for KS. HHV-8 has a role in immunopathogenesis of KS. Aim Evaluation of demographical properties with tumor characteristics and treatment modalities of KS.


METHODS
Histopathologically documented KS patients were evaluated retrospectively. Anti-HIV seroprevalence was also evaluated with patient and tumor characteristics besides treatment regimens.


RESULTS
Fifty-one patients were included between September 1998 and February 2009. Male/female ratio was 3.25 (39/12). Median age was 68 (31-94). Lower extremity was the most common site whereas excisional biopsy was the most common diagnostic procedure. Smoking rate was 42.8%. Twenty percent had family history for cancer. Anti- HIV seropositivity rate was 1.9%. Thirty eight percent had local monotherapy, and radiotherapy was most common (26%). Multidisciplinary approach rate was 44%. Most of them had surgery and radiotherapy combination. Two-third of the patients had radiotherapy alone or with other modalities. Rates were as 12% for chemotherapy and 6% for interferon. Vincristine-bleomycin-doxorubicin combination was the most preferred regimen (60%).


CONCLUSIONS
Male patients in the sixth decade seem to have higher risk for KS. Smoking rate was almost as high. Local therapy might be sufficient in most of the patients. However, we may also consider systemic chemotherapy for selected patients, including vincristine, bleomycin and doxorubicin.
Dogan
Mutlu
M
Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Medical Oncology, Cebeci Hospital, Dikimevi, Ankara, Turkey. mutludogan1@yahoo.com
Dogan
Lutfi
L
Ozdemir
Feyyaz
F
Ozdemir
Nuriye Yildirim
NY
Coskun
Hasan Senol
HS
Arslan
Ulku Yalcintas
UY
Ozal
Guze
G
Utkan
Gungor
G
Demirkazik
Ahmet
A
Aydin
Fazil
F
Zengin
Nurullah
N
Icli
Fikri
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12