Language
English
Publication Date
8-1-2025
Journal
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
DOI
10.1080/08880018.2025.2518365
PMID
40544345
PMCID
PMC12236444
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
6-22-2026
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Author MSS
Abstract
Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) is a common childhood cancer in Malawi, but few studies have exploredclinical characteristicsofrelapsed disease. We aimed to characterize clinical patterns of relapse to improve treatment and, ultimately, long-term survival in patients with pediatric KS.A retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients ages < 19 years of age at time of KS diagnosis in Lilongwe, Malawi between August 1, 2010 and March 15, 2020. Specifically, emphasis was placed on patients who had relapsed disease and excluded patients with refractory disease or those who died whilst receiving front-line treatment. Salvage therapy typically involved an intensified chemotherapy regimen compared to front-line therapy—namely nonliposomaldoxorubicin plus bleomycin/vincristine or paclitaxel monotherapy.One-hundred and ninety patients with pediatric KS were included in this analysis, 50 of whom experienced relapse (26%).Older median age was associated with occurrence of relapse (10 vs 6.7 years, p-value = 0.004). Median time from diagnosis to first relapse was 10.6 months (range 2.3–49 months). Three-year post-relapse overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort was 60% with a median follow-up time of 4.7 years after relapse.Survival was significantly higher for patients who relapsed with the woody edema clinical phenotype of pediatric KS versus those with visceral/disseminated disease—3-year OS 79% (95% CI 62–100) versus 29% (14–61).These data demonstrate potential for continued survival after KS relapse in the pediatric population and identify subsets of high-risk patients. The higher mortality observed in patients with visceral/disseminated KS highlights the need for improved therapeutic strategies.
Keywords
Humans, Child, Sarcoma, Kaposi, Adolescent, Malawi, Male, Female, Retrospective Studies, Child, Preschool, Infant, Survival Rate, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols, Recurrence, Follow-Up Studies, Kaposi sarcoma, KS, pediatric KS, LMIC, HIV-related malignancies, pediatric oncology
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Chanroo, Toni; Silverstein, Allison; McAtee, Casey L; et al., "Relapse Patterns Among Children and Adolescents With Kaposi Sarcoma in Malawi" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Students Publications. 7027.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/7027