Hello Doctor:

I was just diagnosed with KS. I have two lesions, one on the sole of my foot and one on my thigh. There are two other spots that are discolored that I have been watching. I started using Panretin gel. This morning I found two spots one on the back of each thigh, that are most likely new lesions. I will probably use the gel on them. I am taking Combivir and Viramune and have had good results Tcells from 140(9%) to 357(19%) and VL 390,000 to 50 after 4 months. My question is with the drug regimen and the gel, will my immune system be able to control the KS? If the two spots that I have been watching turn out to be lesions that would be 4 new lesions in a month. Does that mean that it is likely to spread internally? Does it indicate chemotherapy? I am very concerned because I have been in relatively good health.

With your HIV therapy and the gel for KS, you ought to get good control of your KS. The "new" lesions may have been there at a microscopic level when you started HIV meds. Be patient-- if you are undetectable (less than 50) and your T cells continue to rise, your KS is likely to respond. The new skin lesions do not mean that it is spreading internally.