[Cancer in organ transplanted patients]

The risk of cancer in organ transplant recipients is three to five times higher than in the general population. The increased risk seems to be related to the total amount of immunosuppressive agents received. Organ transplant recipients do not have a significantly higher risk of developing the most common types of cancer, such as cancer of the breast, lungs, prostate or the uterine body. Non-melanoma skin cancers constitute well over 50% of all cancers in transplant recipients. Some forms of cancer, such as lymphomas, cancer of the cervix and Kaposi's sarcoma, are associated with viral infections. Organ transplant recipients should be regularly examined for cancer and avoid high exposure to ultraviolet light, an important aetiological risk factor for non-melanoma skin cancer. With the increasing number of new immunosuppressive drugs now being introduced, it is important to monitor their long-term side effects, including cancer.