Kaposi's sarcoma: causes, symptoms, treatment

Kaposi's sarcoma is a serious oncological disease in which multiple tumors formed from lymph nodes or blood vessels are localized directly to the patient's skin.

Today, it is absolutely certain that the herpes virus-8 provokes the development of tumors. However, the presence of an agent in the body is not enough for the development of the sarcoma. Only in the presence of antitumor immunity the virus becomes fatal.

Until the early 1980s, Kaposi's sarcoma affected only the inhabitants of Africa and the Mediterranean. Later, she suffered most bisexuals and homosexuals around the world. This fact accelerated the study of the disease. It was found that Kaposi's sarcoma in HIV, especially in men, is an incurable disease. HIV-infected women, as well as people who received a virus with blood transfusion, the disease does not threaten.

To date, it has been established that Kaposi's sarcoma has 4 varieties, distinguished by the causes of the onset, development, and prognosis of the disease.

The first type is called idiomatic or classical Kaposi's sarcoma. Symptoms begin with the appearance on the legs of men red or purple spots, nodules, ulcers. Later, skin lesions spread up the body, affecting the skin, mucous membranes, internal organs. Sometimes spots appear at the site of the injury. The disease is accompanied by a general malaise, severe itching, irritation, burning, aggravated pain at the site of the neoplasm. Often comes the general intoxication of the body.

Classical sarcoma can be chronic, acute, subacute.

Chronic passes in a lighter form, lasts for many years. Death from this type of disease can occur only if it is accompanied by concomitant diseases.

Acute and subacute species significantly more often lead to death.

The second type of disease is called immunosuppressive sarcoma. It often occurs when organ transplants occur . The signs of skin lesions with this type are expressed implicitly. As soon as artificial suppression of immunity ceases, the sarcoma can pass spontaneously. However, sometimes a fatal outcome is possible.

Kaposi's sarcoma of the third type (epidemic) is the most common form of malignant formation in HIV-infected people and people with AIDS. It often begins on the upper part of the trunk, face, then, falling down, it affects the internal organs. Most often, lethal outcome is not so much sarcoma, how many diseases that accompany it

The fourth type (endemic) occurs mainly in African countries. Sometimes the disease becomes chronic, but often develops rapidly, leading to death in one to two months. Basically, it affects children.

Treatment depends entirely on the type of disease. First of all, prescribe a therapy designed to eliminate symptoms. In HIV-infected people this is an antiretroviral treatment, with the classical form - interferon or other immunomodulators.

If symptomatic treatment does not help, go to more aggressive methods. Among them, cryo- or radiation therapy, the introduction of chemotherapy directly into the tumor.

Today, for some categories of patients with Kaposi's sarcoma, treatment with low-intensity electroretonance therapy is indicated. Its essence lies in the fact that under the influence of a certain radiation cancer cells come into resonance with electromagnetic radiation, warm up, and then die. In this case, healthy cells that have a different frequency of vibration remain intact.

There is no specialized prevention of sarcoma. It is recommended simply to avoid any risk factors.