Library · Neoplasm
Kaposi sarcoma
Make it clearer
Kaposi sarcoma is a cancer that forms lesions, meaning areas of abnormal tissue, and it can show up on the skin, on the mucous membranes that line the mouth, the nose and the throat, in the lymph nodes, or in other organs.
Its lesions have a fairly distinctive look. They are usually purple, a shade that looks like a bruise that never quite fades. And if you could open one up, you would find a mixture: cancer cells, new blood vessels, meaning freshly made tubes, and red and white blood cells, the ones that circulate in the blood. There is also a virus in the picture, human herpesvirus 8. It is present in the lesions of every patient with Kaposi sarcoma, but the other half of that sentence deserves to be said just as clearly: most people who have that virus do not develop the disease.
In brief
Kaposi sarcoma is a cancer that grows lesions on the skin, on the mucous membranes lining the mouth, nose and throat, in the lymph nodes, or in other organs.
The lesions are usually purple and are made up of cancer cells, new blood vessels, red blood cells and white blood cells.
Human herpesvirus 8 is present in the lesions of every patient with Kaposi sarcoma, but most people who have that virus do not develop the disease.
Sources (1)
- National Cancer InstituteKaposi Sarcoma Treatment (PDQ) - Patient Version
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated