Ways To Treat Kaposi's Sarcoma

Radiation

Radiation is used for different types of cancer and involves a machine that aims the treatment towards the source of cancer. It can also be applied directly to the lesion. Radiation can be used in cases where the lesions are affecting the lymph nodes. This type of therapy uses various forms of energy to destroy cancerous cells and stop their growth.

Two types of radiation therapy are available to treat Kaposi's sarcoma. Internal therapy utilizes radioactive materials and positions them directly into or adjacent to the cancer. The substance is delivered through needles, catheters, and other means. External therapy treats the cancer with a machine by directing energy towards the cancer from outside of the body. The photon version provides high-energy light to the body's surface for treatment of the tumor inside the body. Energy from electron beams delivers treatment through the surface of the skin, but the energy only penetrates the outer layers of the skin instead of tissues and organs below the skin.

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Surgery

Surgical procedures may be used to treat small lesions on the outside of the body by removing the cancerous tissue. The tumor and a tiny amount of healthy tissue can be cut away from the skin by a technique called local excision. The abnormal tissue can also be frozen and destroyed with a surgical instrument by way of a technique called cryotherapy or cryosurgery.

Another surgical method known as electrodesiccation and curettage removes the tumor by using a sharp, spoon-shaped tool known as a curette. Curettage involves scooping and scraping away the unwanted material. This process is followed by electric current being furnished to the area from a needle-shaped electrode. This treatment helps the area to heal by destroying residual cancer cells and stopping blood flow. This process may be redone a few times during the surgery to rid the area of all cancerous tissue.

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