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Restarting Treatment for KS
Apr 20, 2003
I have been treated for KS, last treatment was Aug. 2002. It appears it is reoccuring. I am on HIV meds, viral load is detectable at 750 copies. CD4 count is 500's. VL has been undetectable - seems to go back and forth no matter how rigorous I am with taking meds at the right time.
I have been treated with Taxol with good success (Doxil didn't really work). However I wonder if I need to have a higher dose this time around and/or a second opinion on treatment. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
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Response from Dr. Dezube
What you are describing is NOT unusual. Many of my KS patients, who have been treated with chemotherapy, often need to re-start chemotherapy from time to time. I usually give 4-6 cycles of chemotherapy, then take a break. Sometimes a patient's KS does not recur, other times it recurs after a time period such as yours (August to April, 8 months), and other times it recurs right a way. Depending upon your geograhic location, you could potentially be a candidate for a clinical trial of angiogenesis inhibitors. These are investigational agents which may prevent the KS from recurring. Lastly, in general I do NOT recommend higher doses. With chemotherapy, as you increase the dose, you often get no better response, but you do get more toxicity.
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