Cancer Screening in Renal Transplant Recipients: Real-World Data

Multiple international guidelines have endorsed cancer screening in renal transplant patients. This study aimed to describe a series of patients with post-transplant cancer and to report physicians' adherence to cancer screening guidelines.

This is a retrospective study of cancer patients who had a history of renal transplant. Charts of patients who were treated at our institution between 2012 and 2023 were reviewed, patients' clinical data were collected.

Thirty-nine patients were identified. The most common types of cancer were lymphoma (n = 9, 23%), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin (n = 8, 20.5%), and breast (n = 6, 15.4%). The median age at diagnosis was 56.5 years (range: 16.9 - 70.2), family history of malignancy was depicted in 18 (46.2%) cases. Chart review and patients' questionnaire revealed that increased risk of malignancy was discussed in seven (18%) out of 39 recipients (P < 0.001) at time of transplant, and only three (7.7%, P < 0.001) patients were on post-transplant age-matched cancer screening.

The increased risk of malignancy is a serious post-transplant complication. Lymphoma and non-melanoma skin cancer were the most common cancers. Most patients were not offered routine cancer screening; it is important to raise awareness among nephrologists and caregivers regarding the risk of post-transplant malignancy.