Kaposi's sarcoma before and during the HIV epidemic in Tanzania.

The Tanzania cancer registry recorded 39,920 cancer cases from 1968 to 1995. Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) constituted 4% of the cases of which 79.9% were males. During the AIDS period changes in the demographics of KS were noted showing an increase in the diagnosis of KS (p=0.0001). There was an overall decrease in the mean age from 41.7 years before to 37.3 years during the AIDS epidemic (p=0.002). In males this decreased from 42.7 to 38.8 years (p=0.01) but was not statistically significant in females (p=0.06). In both periods the cases were observed in the sexually active age groups. The narrowing of the male/female ratio during the AIDS period (p=0.0004), and an increase in extra-limb lesions from 19.7% before to 48.7% during the AIDS epidemic indicates the emergence of an aggressive form of KS in Tanzania, suggesting a co-factor role of HIV in KS pathogenesis.