Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Murine Cervical Heart Transplantation Model Using a Modified Cuff Technique
Published on: October 12, 2014
Malignancy after heart transplantation
Po-Lin Chen1, Hsiao-Huang Chang, I-Ming Chen
1Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence and type of malignancies after heart transplantation at a medical institute in Taiwan.
Methods:
From January 1987 to December 2008, a total of 66 patients who survived more than 30 days after transplantation were enrolled in this study.
Results:
Of the 66 heart transplant recipients, 8 (12.1%) post-transplant malignancies were diagnosed: 5 posttransplant lymphoproliferative diseases (PTLD), 1 prostate cancer, 1 lung cancer, and 1 squamous cell carcinoma of the cheek. The clinical presentations were diverse, and the diagnoses were confirmed by biopsy. Only 1 patient died of PTLD and subsequent multiple organ failure.
Conclusion:
Cancer is a limiting factor for long-term survival after heart transplantation. The most common type in this study was PTLD. Early detection and aggressive treatment results in good response and preserves the allograft.
Related Concept Videos
Tissue Transplantation
The Biology of Tissue Transplantation
The biology of tissue transplantation hinges on the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules. These molecules...
Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy the...
Kidney Transplant I: Introduction
Kidney Transplant II: Surgical Procedure
Cardiomyopathy V: Interprofessional Care

