| dc.description.abstract | The incidence of HIV-associated Kaposi’s sarcoma remains high in Zambia in
the antiretroviral therapy era. The most efficacious treatment regimen for KS
has yet to be established. In both developed and developing countries,
treatment regimens have had limited efficacy. Late presentation in Africa
affects therapeutic outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the
therapeutic outcomes of epidemic KS patients after completion of six cycles
of Adriamycin, Bleomycin, and Vincristine (ABV) chemotherapy. This was a
descriptive cross-sectional study. Study participants were drawn from a study
database of confirmed incident KS patients seen at the Skin Clinic of the
University Teaching Hospitals (UTH) during the period between August,
2015 and September, 2016. Of the 38 successfully recruited study
participants, a complete response was documented in 18 (47.4%) after 6
cycles of ABV whereas 20 (52.6%) experienced a partial response. KS
recurrence was observed in 8 (44.4%) of individuals that experienced an
initial complete response. At the time of the study, clinical assessment
revealed that KS lesions had completely regressed in 21 (55.3%) of all the
patients. ABV chemotherapy appears ineffective in long-term resolution of
epidemic KS patients on ART. Recurrence rates are high after chemotherapy
in patients that experience initially favorable responses to treatment. There is
a need to diagnose KS earlier, and to develop more efficacious treatment
options in order to reduce recurrence rates for epidemic KS.
Key words: Kaposi’s Sarcoma, HIV-associated, treatment, chemotherapy,
outcomes, recurrence. | en |
