Oncological perspective on Kaposi sarcoma: A single-centre experience

Objective: Kaposi sarcoma (KS) presents as a multifocal angioproliferative disease with distinct four subtypes, including classical, AIDS-related(epidemic), endemic, and iatrogenic. The rarity of the disease and the clinically different characteristics of the subtypes have led to insufficient experience in treatment and follow-up. Based on this, we aim to investigate the clinicopathological features and treatment options of the KS patients treated and followed up in our clinic. Patients and Methods: The study included 66 patients diagnosed with KS by histopathological examination. KS subtypes, stages, distribution of lesions, chemotherapy regimens and efficacy of chemotherapy regimens were recorded. The efficacies of paclitaxel and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) were compared. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used for statistical analyses. Results: Classical KS was the most common subtype (n=50), followed by AIDS-related (n=14) and iatrogenic (n=2) types. 32 patients received systemic treatment. In different lines, paclitaxel was administered to 32 patients and PLD to 12 patients. Disease control rate (DCR) was 78.1% for paclitaxel and 75% for PLD, while overall response rate (ORR) was 68.7% and 58.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Paclitaxel and PLD demonstrated efficacy in controlling aggressive KS. However, larger studies are warranted to further validate these findings and optimize chemotherapy strategies.