Overview of Kaposi Cancer (Sarcoma Kaposi)

Kaposi's cancer is a systemic malignancy associated with vascular epithelial abnormalities in the body. Although the disease is not common in clinical practice, it causes many complications for patients. Kaposi's cancer treatment method is mainly a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and close monitoring of the patient.

Kaposi cancer (English name is Sacorma Kaposi) is a systemic malignancy involving lesions in the vascular epithelium with slow progression. This is a disease characterized by abnormal growth of malignant tumors appearing under the skin and in the lining of the nose, throat, mouth or other areas of the body. The disease manifests mainly in the skin and mucous membranes with painful, red or purple malignancies, present in about 30% of cases. In cases where it has spread to other organs, Kaposi cancer can cause many other complications such as difficulty breathing, acute respiratory failure if it has spread to the lungs, or bleeding if the affected organ is the stomach.
The frequency of the disease in the community is not high and there are many ways to classify Kaposi's cancer clinically. Usually, the disease is divided into 4 main groups: classical Kaposi cancer, African Kaposi cancer, immunocompromised Kaposi cancer and immunosuppressive Kaposi cancer. In many cases, Kaposi's cancer is the first indicative clinical presentation in patients with AIDS.

Human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) has been identified as the cause of Kaposi's cancer. This virus can be transmitted through sexual contact and from mother to child.

Several factors have been shown to increase the risk of Kaposi cancer in the community, listed as follows:
Gender: Men have a higher risk of developing Kaposi cancer. Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8): Those who are infected with HHV8 even though they have no clinical symptoms still have a high probability of Kaposi cancer. However, most healthy people with HHv8 infection do not progress to Kaposi cancer. The disease occurs only in individuals with weakened immune systems. Impaired immune system activity: any cause that weakens the body's immune system such as AIDS, long-term use of corticosteroids or cancer drugs, and graft rejection inhibitors when Having an organ transplant can also be a predisposing factor for the development of Kaposi's cancer. Having multiple sex partners or having sex with men, having unprotected sex with people with HIV or HHV-8.

Kaposi's cancer is a malignancy with major manifestations in the skin and mucous membranes as solitary tumor-like proliferative lesions with peduncles or clusters. They are usually small, purple or red, often appearing on the skin of the lower legs. Some other places on the body that can experience similar lesions are the skin of the face, mucous membranes of the nose, throat, and mouth. Kaposi cancer has a slow progression but can still spread to other organs in the body, most commonly the lymph nodes, digestive system, and lungs. When Kaposi cancer metastasizes to the gastrointestinal tract extending from the pharynx to the anus, the patient may experience other clinical manifestations such as abdominal pain, vomiting blood or black stools due to gastric mucosal bleeding. . When Kaposi's cancer spreads to both lungs, patients may experience shortness of breath, acute respiratory failure.
Whenever the appearance of one or more pigmented lesions on the skin is noticed, the patient should proactively visit a specialist doctor for timely diagnosis and treatment.

Establishing a diagnosis of Kaposi's cancer should be based on clinical manifestations and other laboratory measures. The disease has characteristic clinical manifestations, especially in immunocompromised patients, including:
Single small tumors or patches of red and purple pigment changes Location of lesions often in skin folds There is a color change from red or purple to green, yellow around the tumor, consistent with hemorrhagic lesions. Skin lesions spread, may enter the mucosal areas of the nose, oropharynx, may have surrounding edema. Basic laboratory measures may be indicated in patients with Kaposi's cancer. Chest X-ray is indicated in cases of suspected lung metastases. Gastrointestinal endoscopy or abdominal ultrasound should be indicated in cases of suspected gastrointestinal spread. To definitively diagnose a case of Kaposi cancer with atypical clinical signs, the doctor may order a biopsy of the skin lesion to observe histopathological features.

Kaposi cancer treatment method to be effective requires a combination of monitoring, supportive treatment and a combination of treatment measures. Specific treatment regimens vary from patient to patient, depending on the severity of the disease.
Classical Kaposi cancers, African Kaposi cancers, immunosuppressive Kaposi cancers usually only need to be monitored in conjunction with surgical removal of skin lesions. Radiation therapy is also used to treat abnormal lumps on mucous membranes, but there are many side effects such as dryness, redness and itching after radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is chosen when the disease has spread to other organs. Chemicals are delivered to damaged organs directly or through a systemic intravenous route. Similar to radiation therapy, chemotherapy can also cause many unwanted effects such as hair loss, infections, bleeding disorders, nausea and vomiting.

Besides the above Kaposi cancer treatment methods, patients should coordinate with medical staff to increase the effectiveness of treatment by the following ways:
Regular follow-up appointments to monitor progress promptly of disease. Follow the prescriptions and treatment regimens given by your doctor. Do not stop the medication or change the dose of the drug at your own discretion. Protect yourself and your partner by practicing safe sex. To register for examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide, or register for an online examination HERE
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