“While transplantation is a life-saving therapy for patients with end-stage organ disease, it also puts recipients at an increased risk for developing cancer, in part because of medications administered to suppress the immune system and prevent rejection of the organ,”. Organ transplant recipients have a high risk of developing 32 different types of cancer, according to a new study. Future research to understand why may lead to better strategies for preventing cancer among transplant recipients.
In 2010, over 28,000 organ transplantations were performed in the U.S., including 16,899 kidney, 6,291 liver, 2,333 heart and 1,770 lung transplants. Transplant recipients are known to be at a higher risk for developing cancer than the general population. The researchers found a twofold overall increased risk of cancer among transplant recipients. They noted elevated risk for 32 different types of cancer, some known to be related to infectious agents (such as anal cancer and Kaposi sarcoma) and others unrelated to infections (such as melanoma and thyroid cancer). The most common cancers among transplant recipients were non-Hodgkin lymphoma (14% of all cancers in transplant recipients), lung cancer (13%), liver cancer (9%) and kidney cancer (7%). The risk of cancer was affected by the type of transplant. Lung cancer risk, for example, was highest in lung recipients.
