Cancer of the skin in blacks. IV. A review of nineteen black patients with Kaposi's sarcoma.

Kaposi's sarcoma in American blacks is relatively rare, according to the literature. Using information from the Tumor Registry of Charity Hospital of Louisiana in New Orleans, we discuss the available data on nineteen black patients (10 men, 9 women), with histologically diagnosed Kaposi's sarcoma between the years 1948 to 1983. The overall mortality rate directly attributable to their disease was 21%. The mean survival of patients dying from disease was 2.0 years from the time of diagnosis. The mean survival for the entire series was 6.1 years. No second primary lymphoreticular neoplasms were reported.