A case of bladder cancer after bilateral lung transplantation following bone marrow transplantation

The incidence of bladder cancer following transplantation is high; however, no previous studies have reported the development of bladder cancer following bone marrow and bilateral lung transplantations.

A 42-year-old man who was followed for bilateral lung transplantation due to chronic graft-versus-host disease following bone marrow transplantation complained of gross hematuria. Transurethral resection of the bladder tumor was performed for cT1N0M0 bladder cancer. On the following night, he experienced severe respiratory failure and was intubated. He was discharged on postoperative day 32 with the introduction of home oxygen therapy. The pathological diagnosis was invasive urothelial carcinoma, high-grade, pT1, with urothelial carcinoma in situ. Further treatment could not be performed because of his poor performance status and immunosuppressive state.

Vigorous screening for bladder cancer coexisting with other malignancies should be performed for transplant recipients for the early diagnosis and prompt treatment of a relatively aggressive bladder cancer.