Sarcoma de Kaposi: variedades clínicas y resultados del tratamiento local con radioterapia / Local radiation treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma: clinical varieties and treatment outcomes

ABSTRACT

Background: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a rare tumor that affects mainly immunodeficient and elderly patients. Aim: To describe the features and outcomes of a cohort of patients with different types of KS treated locally with radiotherapy (RT). Patients and Methods: Retrospective review of patients with KS referred to our radiation oncology center for local treatment of symptomatic lesions that did not respond to high activity anti-retroviral therapy or chemotherapy. Results: Between January 1995 and December 2016, 20 patients with a median age of 40 years (18 males) with KS were assessed and treated with RT due to symptomatic lesions. The most common KS type was epidemic in 15 patients, followed by the classic type in three and the iatrogenic variety in two. In patients with non-epidemic varieties, SK was exclusively cutaneous, while visceral involvement was present in 46% of patients with epidemic SK. Complete response was observed in 95% of cases. Skin toxicity caused by RT was mild in all cases. Conclusions: RT may be considered as a reasonable local treatment choice in classic, iatrogenic and epidemic varieties of KS.