HIV-associated cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma--palliative local treatment by radiotherapy

The increasing number of HIV-infected patients makes palliative treatment of HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma more common. We retrospectively evaluated a reduced fractionated radiotherapy with 20 Gy in respect to response rates and acute side-effects. From January 1992 to January 1995, 52 patients with HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma were treated with 133 single portals. Six weeks after the end of radiotherapy 42 patients with 124 portals were evaluable with respect to response rates and side-effects. Of the treated portals 32% were judged as complete responses (CR), 55% as partial responses (PR) and 12% as no change (NC). Skin reactions RTOG, grade 1 were seen in 74% of the patients. Compared with literature data the reduced overall dose of 20 Gy in 10 fractions led to a reduction of CRs by approximately 50% while the overall response rate remained equal. The success of radiotherapy for the nodular component of Kaposi's sarcoma can be improved, if a dose exceeding 20 Gy in 10 fractions is applied but at the cost of increasing side-effects in case that non-conventional fractionation schemes are used.