Kaposi's sarcoma in England and Wales before the AIDS epidemic.

The epidemiological features of Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS) incidence in England and Wales in the period 1971-1980 are reviewed. The epidemiology of KS in England and Wales in this period is distinct from that associated with the AIDS epidemic. The incidence was probably very low compared to other Western countries, there was little male excess, and no indication, based on marital status data, of a raised incidence in male homosexuals. Half the cases registered were in people born outside the UK. The region of birth distribution in these migrants reflected the known pre-AIDS geographic distribution of KS and also pointed to high risks in those from Middle Eastern countries and the Caribbean. The very low incidence rates of KS in natives of England and Wales suggests that the background prevalence of the causative agent for KS was low in England and Wales prior to the AIDS epidemic.