Kaposi Sarcoma

Question: Kaposi Sarcoma? So I was watching a movie on tv and they had a story about a woman who gets HIV from her cheating husband and she doesnt know...the only reason she starts to worry is because she starts to get brown purple lesions (kaposi Sarcoma) on her body...In school we did a unit on AIDS but I was always though ppl who got Kaposi Sarcoma are ppl who have extremely advance AIDS....is this right? or do ppl who have HIV/AIDS get this no matter what stage they are at?

Answer: Kaposi Sarcoma is caused by the 8th kind of herpes virus (herpes simplex virus 8) and usually happens after the patient has had AIDS for a while. By the time lesions appear, it is likely that the immune system has already been severely weakened. Not everyone with HIV/AIDS get this though. Many people never develop these lesions. With the rise of AIDS in Africa, Kaposi Sarcoma has become the most frequently reported cancer in some countries, such as Zimbabwe. Check out this site for more information about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaposi_Sarc…

Question: Where can I find some information about Kaposi Sarcoma? I'm HIV possitive also suffer kapossi sarcoma, I really want to kwon all about it please help me

Answer: Actually, KS is one of the diseases that defines a case of AIDS. If you have KS, then chances are high you have full blown AIDS, so you need to see the doctor about your T-cell count. MedLine has some great info about KS http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/kapos… Any reputable AIDS advocacy organization or website will have more information on KS. But beware of who your sources are. Make sure they are REPUTABLE.

Question: Does Kaposi Sarcoma develop over time or do purple marks appear all at once? MY ex had 2 purple marks on his leg and 1 year passed and he did not develop anymore. He refused to see the doctor to see what it was. How does this disease appear? There were no other marks on his body only on his leg? could it be something else then? I thought they apeear everywhere and are several? one 2 cm lesion and 1 purple blotch.

Answer: They develop over time. They are vascular tumors usually indicating AIDS.

Question: Questions about HIV care and Kaposi's Sarcoma? Okay, I have several questions in one. First of all--is there a way to tell if cancer lesions are AIDS related during a biopsy? Secondly, do doctors have a right to test a patient's blood for HIV if the patient refuses, but accepts other treatments? And finally, what are the odds of someone contracting Kaposi's sarcoma if they are under forty?

Answer: Kaposi's sarcoma is extremely rare in someone under the age of 40 unless they are positive for HIV and HHV-8. As for whether doctors have a right to test the patient, it depends on the state. Some states require formal consent to run the test. Most states, however, are doing away with that rule and making it legal for doctors to just test their patients. A lot of it has to do with doctor's safety in handling the patient's blood samples, etc. Also, knowledge of AIDS impacts a person's treatment options. Generally, if the biopsy of the lesion confirms Kaposi sarcoma, and also routine blood tests show that the patient's CD4 count is below 400, that's good evidence that the lesions are AIDS related.

Question: If you have Kaposi's Sarcoma and are given DOXIL chemo - is limb amputation still an option? My mom had a liver transplant 12 years ago. She is now battling KS - started on her leg in a small way but now is whole lower limb. They did radiation which did not help - the lesions are overwhelming and she is unable to walk. She has had one treatment of DOXIL ( liposome doxorubicin) and was told that the next treatment would be in 2-3 weeks. She's at the point of wanting amputation if it will prolong her life. My question: it seems that prescribing DOXIL means the cancer is systemic - would amputation be an option or has the cancer already travelled beyond the leg?

Answer: I guess the Doxil really is for systemic treatment. Does mom have a good Oncologist? If there is no indication of mets outside the affected limb, the amputation may be the way to go. Get a couple of opinions.

Question: Kaposi Sarcoma information? Can someone tell me the basics of Kaposi Sarcoma, and is it a cancer or not? thank you

Answer: it is a tumor that is found overwhelmingly in AIDS patients

Question: Would further scientific and medical studies on the nature of kaposi's sarcoma help us learn about cancer? And its possible relationship to damaged immune systems and the herpes virus?

Answer: we already know the relationship- herpes viruses integrate their own DNA into host cell DNA which causes damage and miscoding which can lead to cancer. your immune system is normally pretty good about destroying new cancer cells immediately, but if it is weakened as in AIDS it misses cancer more frequently, which is why immunsuppressed people have more kaposi's syndrome. the problem is its basically impossible to make a drug that can detect DNA damage and fix it.

Question: How does Kaposi's sarcoma look like in early stage? Can they be squeezed like pimple?/just like a 'meat ball'?

Answer: Omg!! I was bored so I looked at this question and went to the link the other answerer suggested - It was so gross!!! There should be a warning or something!!! All I can say is thank god it's rare, the chances of you having it are probably slim and the chances of me getting it are hopefully slimmer lol!!