Treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma

Abstract

The classic form of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a rare multifocal neoplasm, as described by Kaposi in 1872. One hundred nine years after Kaposi's first description of the disease, the interest in all aspects of this disease escalated because of the emergence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is frequently accompanied by KS. This prompted zealous research, as reflected by numerous reports. Despite recent important discoveries, we are still far from understanding the pathogenesis of the disease and the mechanism of action of its various treatment modalities. As of today, treatment consists of most of the old modalities, some old ones in an updated improved version, and some new and experimental therapies. Our purpose is to focus on recent or novel data and to mention available treatments and their advantages, disadvantages, and side effects. We will also speculate on future directions.