Pilot Study of Oral Valganciclovir Therapy in Patients With Classic Kaposi Sarcoma
1. Susan E. Krown1,
2. Dirk P. Dittmer2 and
3. Ethel Cesarman3
+ Author Affiliations
1. 1Melanoma and Sarcoma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York
2. 2Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
3. 3Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
1. Correspondence: Susan E. Krown, MD (krowns@mskcc.org).
Abstract
We conducted a clinical trial of oral valganciclovir, a drug with in vitro activity against Kaposi sarcoma (KS)–associated herpesvirus (KSHV), in classic KS. Five human immunodeficiency virus–seronegative participants received valganciclovir for up to six 4-week cycles at doses used for cytomegalovirus infection. None of the study subjects showed an objective response; KS progressed in 4 subjects after 1–4 cycles and remained stable in 1 subject after 6 cycles. KS biopsies showed minimal lytic KSHV antigen and gene expression at baseline and no treatment-associated changes. Although valganciclovir was not active against KS in this setting, other appropriately targeted anti-herpesviral strategies may prove to be more effective.