The exact cause of Kaposi’s sarcoma is still unknown. Some studies have implicated a sexually transmitted agent. Evidence continues to accumulate implicating the Human Herpes Virus (HHV-8).

Others have implicated certain chemicals found in the body while others doubt whether Kaposi’s sarcoma is really a cancer because unlike other cancers which arise from a single cell type, Kaposi’s sarcoma arises from several cell types.

Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions are made up of an overgrowth of blood vessels. The highest prevalence in HIV patients occurs in homosexual men, followed by heterosexual men and lastly women.

While a full cancer screening guideline is being developed, the American Cancer Society has created interim guidance for people and their doctors regarding the use of low-dose CT scans for the early detection of lung cancer:

•People between the ages of 55 and 74 who meet the entry criteria of the NLST (see above) and are concerned about their risk of lung cancer may consider screening for lung cancer. With their doctor, people interested in screening should weigh the currently known benefits of screening with the currently known limits and risks in order to make a shared decision as to whether they should be screened for lung cancer.
•Doctors may choose to discuss lung cancer screening with their patients who meet NLST entry criteria.
•For people who do not meet the NLST entry criteria (because of younger age, smoking history, etc.), it is not clear if the possible benefits of screening outweigh the harms, so screening in these people is not recommended at this time. This is especially the case among people with no smoking history, in whom the possible harms are much more likely than benefits at this time. Whether people whose age or smoking history would have made them ineligible for the NLST should be screened will be addressed during the guidelines development process as more data becomes available.
•People who choose to be screened should follow the NLST protocol for annual screening. This should be done in an organized screening program at an institution with expertise in spiral CT screening, with access to a multidisciplinary team skilled in finding and treating abnormal lung lesions. Referring doctors should help their patients find institutions with this expertise.
•There is always benefit to quitting smoking. Active smokers entering a lung screening program should be urged to enter a smoking cessation program. Screening should not be viewed as an alternative to quitting smoking.
•For people considering screening (and their doctors), some statistics from the NLST may be helpful. Of the nearly 26,000 people screened by low-dose CT in the NLST, 1,060 were diagnosed with lung cancer. Screening is estimated to have prevented 88 lung cancer deaths while causing 16 deaths. Six of the 16 deaths were in patients who ultimately were found not to have cancer.

Until recently, no lung cancer screening test had been shown to lower the risk of dying from this disease. Earlier studies of 2 possible screening tests, chest x-ray and sputum cytology, did find that these tests detected lung cancers at an early stage, but this did not improve a person’s chance for a cure. For this reason, major medical organizations have not recommended routine screening with these tests for the general public or even for people at increased risk, such as smokers.

Some lung cancers are diagnosed early because they are found as a result of tests for other medical conditions. For example, lung cancer may be found by imaging tests (such as a chest x-ray or chest CT scan), bronchoscopy (viewing the inside of lung airways through a flexible lighted tube), or sputum cytology (microscopic examination of cells in coughed up phlegm) done for other reasons in patients with heart disease, pneumonia, or other lung conditions. A small portion of these patients do very well and may be cured of lung cancer.