[Evaluation of the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma with vinblastine in Togo: a study of 23 cases].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of treatment of AIDS-related and non AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) using vinblastine (Velbé®). A retrospective study was conducted between January 1990 and December 2009 in the Department of Dermatology at the Lomé teaching hospital. The therapeutic protocol is the administration of 10 injections of vinblastine every 15 days. Evaluation was done at 10 weeks, 5 months, 11 months and 17 months. Twenty-three patients including 11 cases of non AIDS-related KS and 12 cases of AIDS-related KS were included in our study. The average age of patients was 39.3 ± 11.2 years. The sex-ratio (M/F) was 6:7. At ten weeks, partial remission was 26% and failure rate was 74%. Side effects as a result of the first five injections were dominated by anemia. At 5 months, complete remission was 17% including 3 cases of non AIDS-related KS, partial remission was 26% including 4 cases of non AIDS-related KS. Side effects of the last five injections were dominated by anemia and nervous toxicity. At 11 months, one patient was lost to follow-up and complete remission persisted in 13% of the patients. At 17 months, complete remission persisted in 9% of the patients against 4% of relapses. No long-term side effects were identified. Our study shows a poor efficacy of vinblastine in the treatment of AIDS-related and non AIDS-related KS and confirms the hematologic and nervous toxicity of this drug. The efficacy is better in the non AIDS-related KS than in the AIDS-related KS.