Cancer Screening in End-Stage Kidney Disease

The incidence of cancer is higher in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) than among the general population. Despite this, screening for cancer is generally not cost-effective and may worsen quality of life in these patients. This is due to high mortality rates (patients are not living long enough to reap the benefits of screening), the inaccuracy of cancer screening tests, and the increased risks associated with therapy in patients with ESKD. Specific groups of patients with ESKD who have a longer-than-expected life expectancy or higher-than-expected cancer risk may benefit from screening. These groups include patients on peritoneal dialysis, patients on home hemodialysis, Black and Asian-American patients, transplant-eligible patients, and those at higher risk of cancer including patients with acquired cystic kidney disease, those who have been previously exposed to cytotoxic agents or aristolochic acid, and patients with a genetic predisposition to cancer. In this narrative review, we will examine the prevalence of and risk factors for cancer in patients with ESKD and the effectiveness of cancer screening, and discuss specific situations in which cancer screening may be effective.