Successful treatment of post-renal transplant Kaposi's sarcoma with paclitaxel

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a complication of immunosuppressive therapy for renal transplant recipients. Treatment is usually withdrawal of immunosuppression; nonresponders often receive chemotherapy. Successful treatment with single agent paclitaxel (PTX) has been documented in only one patient. We report two patients with generalized cutaneous, and visceral KS, which progressed despite withdrawal of immunosuppressive therapy, and were treated with weekly PTX. Both patients' KS regressed completely after four courses of PTX, and remained in remission for > 1 year. PTX may be important in the treatment of post-transplant KS resistant to withdrawal of immunosuppressive therapy.