Kaposi's sarcoma: advances in tumor biology and pharmacotherapy

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a highly vascularized neoplasm that primarily results in raised, highly vascularized lesions. Before the 1980s, KS was a rare disorder that occurred predominantly in elderly men of Mediterranean or Eastern European Jewish descent. With the advent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, its occurrence has increased dramatically. It can be classified into four types: classic, African endemic, iatrogenic or drug associated, and AIDS related. Classic KS usually follows an indolent and benign clinical course that rarely requires treatment. In contrast, AIDS-KS is a fulminant disease that requires aggressive pharmacotherapy, especially when it involves visceral organs. The epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, and management strategies of AIDS-KS are reviewed, including recent pharmacologic advances.