According to reports out of New York, doctors have diagnosed 41 cases of a very rare cancer that has shown up in homosexuals and according to reports in the New York Times, already eight victims have passed away from this rapidly spreading and fatal cancer. Doctors have said that the condition is largely gone undetected because of its rare nature. Even dermatologists have missed it.
The cause is unknown and the cancer killed its victims in less than two years.
Dr. Alvin E. Friedman-Kien of New York University Medical Center, who is one of the lead investigators into this rare cancer found the rare cancer in homosexuals who live in the NY and San Francisco area. Twenty victims live in NY and he described the discovery as ‘‘rather devastating’’ to the New York Times. None of the victims know each other.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta is expected to publish the first description of the outbreak in its weekly report today, according to a spokesman, Dr. James Curran. The report notes 26 of the cases – 20 in New York and six in California.
Presence of other viruses
The disease makes its appearances in violet-coloured spots anywhere on the body and is often mistaken for bruises but instead causes swollen lymph glands and spreads throughout the body killing its victims. Victims have also been treated for other illnesses including herpes, cytomegalovirus and hepatitis B as well as parasitic infections giardiasis and amebiasis reports indicated. Interestingly, many victims had reported drug abuse with amyl nitrite and LSD to heighten sexual pleasure.
While this cancer normally affects adults 50 years and over, the disease has shown up in young men between the ages of 26 and 51 who all happen to be homosexual. The mean age for developing this rare cancer is 39 yrs. of age.
While cancer is not considered contagious, the presence of viruses in the group is prompting doctors to reexamine all the variables and indices in the group of victims with this rare form of cancer and concurrent viral illness.
”The best evidence against contagion,” he said, ”is that no cases have been reported to date outside the homosexual community or in women,” said Dr. Curran.
