Sunday, June 26, 2011

June is still sarcoma awareness month...

Everyone should be aware that June is Sarcoma Awareness Month!! Please remember to wear yellow and tell someone about sarcomas. Here is an interesting sarcoma:

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is a systemic disease which can present with cutaneous lesions with or without internal involvement. Four subtypes have been described: Classic KS, affecting middle aged men of Mediterranean and Jewish descent, African endemic KS, KS in iatrogenically immunosuppressed patients, and AIDS-related KS. The erythematous to violaceous cutaneous lesions seen in KS have several morphologies: macular, patch, plaque, nodular, and exophytic.

Only 6% of homosexual men are aware that KS is caused by a virus different from HIV[2]. Thus, there is little community effort to prevent KSHV infection. Similarly, no systematic screening of organ donations is in place.

In AIDS patients, Kaposi's sarcoma is considered an opportunistic infection, a disease that is able to gain a foothold in the body because the immune system has been weakened. With the rise of HIV/AIDS in Africa, where KSHV is widespread, KS has become the most frequently reported cancer in some countries.
(information provided by Wikipedia)

Many people don't know about these sarcomas but I hope that you all learned something new about these sarcomas. Separated the word to those who will listen.

Please remember to wear yellow for people like me!!

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