Key Statistics About Kaposi Sarcoma

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is an uncommon cancer in the United States. It is much more common in some other parts of the world, such as Sub-Saharan Africa.

There are about 3 to 4 cases of KS per million people each year in the US.

During the peak of the AIDS epidemic, the number of cases of KS in the US rose sharply. With antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV and AIDS, HIV-related KS has become less common. Still, it is much more frequent in people living with HIV, with about 470 cases per million people each year.

All types of KS are more common in men than in women. The reasons for this aren’t fully understood.

KS is rare in children in the US, although it is more common in Sub-Saharan Africa, where infection with Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), is widespread.

People who’ve had an organ transplant have about 200 times higher risk of KS compared to other people in the US. This is mainly because of the medicines needed to suppress the immune system after transplant.