Characteristics of thoracic malignancies that occur after solid-organ transplantation

Chronic immunosuppression after solid-organ transplantation is associated with increased risk of developing malignancies. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics and the outcome of thoracic malignancies in patients who have undergone solid-organ transplantation.

Among a cohort of 2831 patients who received a transplant at our institution and were followed between 1984 and 2009, 24 patients (0.85%) developed thoracic malignancies. Risk factors for lung cancer, as well as demographic, cancer, and transplantation characteristics, were analyzed. Survival data were also collected.

Twenty-four patients were included (21 men, median age 61.7 years). Twenty-two patients were smokers. The most frequent histologic types were squamous cell carcinoma (n = 11, 46%) and adenocarcinoma (n = 9, 37%). The median time period between transplantation and diagnosis of lung cancer was 6.6 years. Ten lung malignancies occurred after kidney transplantation (0.5%), eight after liver transplantation (1.3%), and six after heart transplantation (2.8%). Seven patients underwent surgery, three had radiotherapy, four had chemotherapy, and six had multimodal treatment. The median survival time was 1.5 years, ranging from 6 months for stage IV to 3.7 years for stage I.

Solid-organ transplantation is associated with a high risk of lung cancer and may have an important synergetic part with other risk factors for lung cancer (tobacco). However, survival rates from lung cancer in our study population are similar to those of nontransplanted patients. In addition, surgery can result in favorable survival results.