Strong ART is the best treatment for active KS. In many people, ART can stop the growth or even clear up skin lesions. In addition to ART, there are different treatments for KS in the skin or in other parts of the body.
In the skin, KS may not have to be treated if there are only a few lesions. Skin lesions can be:
- Frozen with liquid nitrogen,
- Treated with radiation,
- Cut out surgically,
- Injected with anti-cancer drugs or interferon alpha.
- Treated with Panretin gel (retinoic acid)
These treatments only deal with the skin lesions, not with KS overall. Skin lesions may come back after treatment.
If KS has spread into internal organs, into internal organs, systemic (whole-body) drug treatment is used. If ART is not enough, the drugs doxorubicin (Doxil®,) daunorubicin (DaunoXome®) or paclitaxel (Taxol®) may be added.
Doxil and DaunoXome are anti-cancer drugs in "liposomal" form. "Liposomal" means that tiny amounts of drug are encased in small fat bubbles (liposomes). The drugs last longer in this form and seem to move to the areas where they're needed. Some side effects are reduced with liposomal forms of drugs.
