HIV-ASSOCIATED CUTANEOUS KAPOSIS-SARCOMA - PALLIATIVE LOCAL TREATMENTBY RADIOTHERAPY

The increasing number of HIV-infected patients makes palliative treatm ent of HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma more common. We retrospectively evaluated a reduced fractionated radiotherapy with 20 Gy in respect t o response rates and acute side-effects. From January 1992 to January 1995, 52 patients with HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma were treated wi th 133 single portals. Six weeks after the end of radiotherapy 42 pati ents with 124 portals were evaluable with respect to response rates an d side-effects. Of the treated portals 32% were judged as complete res ponses (CR), 55% as partial responses (PR) and 12% as no change (NC). Skin reactions RTOG, grade 1 were seen in 74% of the patients. Compare d with literature data the reduced overall dose of 20 Gy in 10 fractio ns led to a reduction of CRs by approximately 50% while the overall re sponse rate remained equal. The success of radiotherapy for the nodula r component of Kaposi's sarcoma can be improved, if a dose exceeding 2 0 Gy in 10 fractions is applied but at the cost of increasing side-eff ects in case that non-conventional fractionation schemes are used.