Kaposi Sarcoma

Kaposi sarcoma (Kaposi’s sarcoma) is a form of soft tissue sarcoma. It affects people with weakened immune systems who also carry the rare virus human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8). The virus turns healthy cells into cancerous cells. There are different types of Kaposi sarcoma, but all types cause cancerous lesions (tumors) on people’s skin. Healthcare providers can treat this condition, but it may come back.

What are different types of Kaposi sarcoma?

There are four types of Kaposi sarcoma:

• Epidemic (AIDs-related) Kaposi sarcoma: This is the most common type of Kaposi sarcoma in the U.S. People with Kaposi sarcoma from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are likely to develop cancerous lesions throughout their bodies.
• Acquired Kaposi sarcoma: This is a rare type of Kaposi sarcoma. It affects people carrying HHV-8 who take immunosuppressants after an organ or bone marrow transplant. Acquired Kaposi sarcoma usually causes skin lesions.
• Classic Kaposi sarcoma: This sarcoma type is also known as Mediterranean sarcoma because it usually affects men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) who are of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Eastern European descent. It’s more likely to affect men and people AMAB who are age 60 and older. People with this sarcoma typically have slow-growing skin lesions that grow in size and number. Lesions might also spread to internal organs.
• Endemic Kaposi sarcoma: Also known as African sarcoma, this sarcoma type affects people living in equatorial Africa. This sarcoma is like classic Kaposi sarcoma. The difference is the age of diagnosis — people generally develop endemic Kaposi sarcoma at a much younger age than those who have classic Kaposi sarcoma.

How common is this condition?

Kaposi sarcoma in the United States is rare. People develop Kaposi sarcoma because they carry HHV-8 and have weakened immune systems. Kaposi sarcoma affects 6 in 1 million people with HIV/AIDs and 1 in 200 people taking immunosuppressants after stem cell (bone marrow) transplant or organ transplant surgery.