The spectrum of African Kaposi's sarcoma: is it consequential upon diverse immunological responses?

Kaposi's Sarcoma in Young Patients Treated with Orthovoltage Irradiation and Having a Minimum Follow-Up of Forty-Six Years

Purpose

To describe the clinical outcome and to evaluate the role of orthovoltage radiotherapy in the treatment of young (less than 30 years old) Mediterranean men with Kaposi's sarcoma.

Patients and methods

We reviewed the records of 198 consecutive patients with Kaposi's sarcoma treated with orthovoltage radiation therapy at our department between January 1920 and December 1987.

Result

We found three young shepherds, aged less than 30 years, with an available follow-up ranging from 45 to 67 years. One patient died at the age of 84 years of chronic renal failure while suffering from cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma; two patients are still alive with recurrent Kaposi's sarcoma.

Conclusions

We presume that an indolent form of Kaposi's sarcoma may occur in young men. This very indolent form can be controlled for the duration of the patient's life by judiciously applied radiation therapy.