SYSTEMIC TREATMENT MODALITIES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AIDS-RELATED KAPOSIS-SARCOMA

Background Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most common neoplasm in patien ts with AIDS: in some cohorts of homosexual men with AIDS, the lifetim e risk of KS approaches 50%. Prognosis is either 'good risk' or 'poor risk' according to recommended staging criteria. Objective In the pres ent study we treated a good risk AIDS-KS group of patients with low do se of alpha-2 interferon (alpha-2IFN) plus AZT, and a poor risk AIDS-K S group of patients with chemotherapy. Study design Prospective, non-r andomized trial. Subjects Forty-four homosexual or bisexual male patie nts between 21 and 45 years old with positive ELISA for HIV, and KS, w ere included in the study. Intervention Ten patients received alpha-2 IFN plus AZT, 12 bleomycin, 12 doxorubicin-bleomycin-vincristine (ABV) , and ten patients did not receive treatment. Results One patient achi eved complete remission, two partial remission (PR), six stable diseas e (SD) and one progression (P) during alpha-2 IFN plus AZT treatment. Seven patients showed SD and five P during bleomycin treatment; and fo ur patients achieved PR and eight SD during ABV treatment. Outcome Des pite the fact that the different systemic treatment modalities employe d allowed us to achieve clinical responses, there was no significant i mprovement in survival. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.