Therapeutic Outcomes in AIDS-Associated Kaposi's Sarcoma Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy Treated with Chemotherapy at Two Tertiary Hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia

The incidence of HIV-associated Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) remains high in Zambia in theantiretroviral 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. Latepresentation in Africa affects therapeutic outcomes. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine therapeutic outcomes of epidemic KS patients oncombination antiretroviral therapy (cART) after completion of six cycles of Adriamycin, Bleomycin,and Vincristine (ABV) chemotherapy. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Study participants were drawn from a studydatabase 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. Results: Of the 38 successfully recruited study participants, a complete response was documented in18 (47%) after 6 cycles of ABV whereas 20 (53%) experienced a partial response. KS recurrencewas observed in 8 (44%) of the individuals that experienced an initial complete response. At the timeof the study, clinical assessment revealed that KS lesions had completely regressed in 21 (55%) ofall the patients. Conclusion: ABV chemotherapy appears ineffective in long-term resolution of epidemic KS patientson ART. Recurrence rates are high after chemotherapy in patients that experience initially favorableresponses to treatment. There is a need to diagnose KS earlier, and to develop more efficacioustreatment options in order to reduce recurrence rates for epidemic KS. Keywords: Kaposi’s Sarcoma, HIV-associated, treatment, chemotherapy, outcomes, recurrence.