Types of treatment

Mild cases of Kaposi’s sarcoma may not need to be treated. However, if the lesions are visible and causing distress, treatment may be preferable. The type of treatment you have depends on a number of different factors, including the size and position of the tumours and your general health.

• Classic KS usually requires no treatment, although radiotherapy is sometimes used for larger or easily visible lesions.
• Endemic or African KS is often treated with chemotherapy.
• Transplant-related KS, caused by immunosuppressant drugs, can sometimes be controlled by stopping or reducing the drugs.
• Treatment of AIDS-related KS is often affected by the person’s general health. As the immune system has already been weakened by the illness, extra care has to be taken to ensure that any side effects of treatment are not going to cause your health to become worse. For most people with AIDS-related KS the treatment will include highly active antiretroviral therapy which reduces the level of the HIV virus in the body and improves immunity.

You may find that other people at the hospital are having different treatment from yourself. This may be because their illness takes a different form, therefore they have different needs. It may also be because doctors take different views about treatment. If you have any questions about your treatment, don’t be afraid to ask your doctor or the nurse looking after you. It often helps to make a list of questions for your doctor and to take a close friend or relative with you to your appointment.

Some people find it helpful to have another medical opinion to help them decide about their treatment. Most doctors will be pleased to refer you to another specialist for a second opinion if you feel this would be helpful.