Trends in Kaposi's sarcoma survival disparities in the United States: 1980 through 2004.

BACKGROUND Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most common cancer diagnosed among people with HIV in the United States. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is an essential treatment for KS, and recent reports document the emergence of racial disparities in KS incidence and HIV-related mortality in the post-HAART era (1996 to present). The aim of this study was to examine trends in KS survival by race from the beginning of the HIV epidemic through the introduction of HAART. METHODS Median cause-specific survival and adjusted hazard ratios for KS from 1980 to 2004 were calculated by race using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results nine-area data. RESULTS Median survival among both black and white patients was relatively constant until 1995 (average median survival, 14 and 18 months, respectively). In 1996, white patients experienced an increase in median survival to 103 months. In subsequent years, the increase in median survival was so great that white patients did not reach 50% mortality (follow-up ending December 31, 2007). Survival among black patients increased gradually until its peak in 2001 when median survival had not been reached after 83 months of follow-up. However, subsequent relative decreases to 35 months occurred in 2002 and 2004. CONCLUSIONS The current analysis provides evidence that there have been substantial increases in KS survival among white patients in the HAART era. Black patients have also experienced some improvements but to an attenuated extent. IMPACT Careful attention should be paid to the continuing evolution of trends in KS survival and survival disparities.