Pulmonary Kaposi Sarcoma: An Uncommon Cause of Respiratory Failure in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy-Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) is the most common malignancy associated with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and is caused by Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV 8) or Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV). In about 90% of cases Kaposi Sarcoma is associated with cutaneous lesions; however visceral disease can occur in the absence of cutaneous involvement. In the era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), the incidence of KS has declined.

Obesity and Pulmonary Function in African Americans.

Background: Obesity prevalence in United States (US) adults exceeds 30% with highest prevalence being among blacks. Obesity is known to have significant effects on respiratory function and obese patients commonly report respiratory complaints requiring pulmonary function tests (PFTs). However, there is no large study showing the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and PFTs in healthy African Americans (AA).

Racial differences in smoking abstinence rates in a multicenter, randomized, open-label trial in the United States.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates differences in smoking abstinence between white and minority smokers using pharmaceutical aids. METHODS: This is an analysis of data from a multi-center, randomized, clinical trial conducted in the United States. Of the 1,684 subjects randomized to one of three medications (nicotine inhaler, bupropion, or a combination of both), 60% were women and 10% were minority races.

Enrollment of African Americans onto clinical treatment trials: study design barriers.

Purpose: African Americans have the highest cancer mortality rates and poorest survival and are more often uninsured and underinsured compared with other ethnic groups. Minority participation in clinical trials has traditionally been low, with reports ranging from 3% to 20%. The present study systematically assesses 235 consecutively diagnosed African American cancer patients regarding recruitment onto cancer treatment clinical trials at Howard University Cancer Center between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2002.