What Is Kaposi’s Sarcoma
October 14, 2009
Kaposi’s sarcoma is a type of cancer that develops patches of abnormal tissues beneath the skin lining the nose, mouth, throat and other organs. This cancer cause development of red or purple colored patches filled with blood cells and cancer cells.
Initially there will be no symptoms other than pain but latter it may spread to other organs like digestive tract, liver, lungs etc and then bleeding, breathing problem etc may develop.
Causes of Kaposi Sarcoma
Kaposi sarcoma is caused by a type of virus called Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus. It is also known as human herpes virus 8. Hence Kaposi sarcoma is often accompanied with AIDS. The blood test of all Kaposi sarcoma patients shows positive results for AIDS.
The T cells present in the body used to kill the malignant cells bi triggering a chain of reaction or rather directly. This will protect you from getting cancer. But at times these T cells gets infected with these virus and there after they won’t be in a position to kill the malignant cells and thus causing cancer.
Symptoms of Kaposi Sarcoma
Kaposi sarcoma often results in the formation of lesions in mouth, nose, throat etc. In initial stage these lesions may not cause any symptoms and at times it may have slight pain. Occurrence of lesions in the digestive tract cause gastric problems with out much significant symptoms.
The newly formed lesions in the lungs also produce fever symptoms. Only in the advanced stage these lesions cause problems like bleeding in the intestine, breathing trouble etc. Some patients may also show symptoms like fever, sweating, weight loss etc. In later stage these lesions become painful ulcers.
Types of Kaposi sarcoma
1. Epidemic Kaposi sarcoma- It is common in people having AIDS.
2. Classic Kaposi sarcoma – it is commonly seen in aged men that in women and the lesions develops mostly in ankles, legs, soles etc.
3. Endemic Kaposi sarcoma – it is common in younger people and it affects the internal organs and lymph nodes. The patient may die in one year time.
4. Latrogenic Kaposi sarcoma – it is seen in people who had undergone organ transplantation. Because such people takes medicine to suppress their immune system in order to prevent the body from rejecting the transplanted organs and this helps the virus to attack them easily.
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