Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of cancer that causes lesions to grow in the skin, lymph nodes, and other organs. It is often associated with a weakened immune system, particularly in people with AIDS.

Usage

• Kaposi's sarcoma is used as a medical term. It is typically treated as a singular noun.
• Example: The patient was diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma.
• Example: Kaposi's sarcoma is one of the defining illnesses of AIDS.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be abbreviated as KS in medical contexts.
  • Example: The presence of KS was a key indicator for the physician.

Variants and Related Words

• Sarcoma (noun): A broad category of cancers that arise from connective tissues like bone or muscle. Kaposi's sarcoma is a specific type of sarcoma.

Synonyms

• There are no direct common-language synonyms for this specific medical condition. In clinical contexts, the abbreviation KS is used.

Related Phrases

• AIDS-defining illness: A serious condition that indicates a person's HIV infection has progressed to AIDS. Kaposi's sarcoma is one such illness.
  • Example: The development of Kaposi's sarcoma meant his condition was now classified as AIDS.

Notes on Meaning

• Historically, before the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Kaposi's sarcoma was very rare and occurred primarily in older men of certain ethnic backgrounds (e.g., Mediterranean, Eastern European, or African descent).
• In the modern context, its occurrence is overwhelmingly linked to immunosuppression, most notably from HIV/AIDS, but also from medications used in organ transplantation.

Noun

1. a sarcoma that starts with purplish spots on the feet and legs and spreads from the skin to lymph nodes and internal organs; a common manifestation of AIDS
   • until 1980 Kaposi's sarcoma occurred almost exclusively with Jewish or Italian or black men