Malignancies after kidney transplantation: Hong Kong renal registry

Manystudies have shown that kidney transplant recipients have a higher incidence of cancers when compared with general population. However, most data on the posttransplant malignancies (PTM) are derived from Western literature and large population-based studies are rare. There is also lack of information about the posttransplant cancer-specific mortality rate. We conducted a population-based study of 4895 kidney transplants between 1972 and 2011, with data from the Hong Kong Renal Registry. Patterns of cancer incidence and mortality in our kidney transplant recipients were compared with those of the general population using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) respectively. With 40 246 person-years of follow-up, 299 PTM was diagnosed. The SIR of all cancers was 2.94 (female 3.58 and male 2.58). Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), kidney, and bladder cancers had the highest SIRs. The overall SMR was 2.3 (female 3.4 and male 1.7) and the highest SMR was NHL. The patterns of PTM differ among countries. Increases in cancer incidence can now translate into similar increases in cancer mortality. NHL is important in our kidney transplant recipients. Strategies in cancer screening in selected patient groups are needed to improve transplant outcomes.