Related Terms

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Background

• Sarcoma is a type of cancer that develops in connective tissues like bone, cartilage, fat, blood vessels, muscle or fibrous tissues (related to tendons or ligaments).
• The disease usually causes tumors to form in the tissues below the skin or face or in the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth or anus. Patients typically suffer from lesions on the skin, which appear as raised blotches or lumps that may be purple, brown or red.
• While the skin lesions may be disfiguring, they are not usually life threatening. In some cases, the lesions may be painful or cause swelling. If KS develops in the lungs, liver or gastrointestinal tract, however, the disease may be life threatening, causing internal bleeding or difficulty breathing.
• Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) was named after Dr. Moritz Kaposi who first described the disease in 1872. For decades KS was considered a rare disease that primarily affected elderly men of Mediterranean or Jewish descent, organ transplant recipients or young adult African men. This type is called classic KS.
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Causes

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Symptoms

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Diagnosis

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Treatment

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Integrative Therapies

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Prevention

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Author Information

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References

Natural Standard developed the above evidence-based information based on a thorough systematic review of the available scientific articles. For comprehensive information about alternative and complementary therapies on the professional level, go to www.naturalstandard.com. Selected references are listed below.

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