Posttransplant Malignancies in Adult Transplant Patients

Organ transplant recipients have a higher risk of developing cancer than the general population because of prolonged posttransplant survival and immunosuppressive therapy. Cancer is an important health problem for transplant centers. In this study, we evaluated cancer incidence in patients who underwent organ transplant at our center.

In this retrospective, single-center study, we analyzed patients who received organ transplants at Başkent University Faculty of Medicine Hospital (Türkiye) between 2000 and 2023. We included kidney, liver, and heart transplant recipients aged ≥18 years old and examined patients diagnosed with cancer during posttransplant follow-up in detail. A total of 1047 of 1271 kidney, 204 of 512 liver, and 70 of 117 heart transplant recipients met the inclusion criteria.

Cancer developed in 63 kidney (6.0%), 16 liver (7.8%), and 3 heart (4.3%) transplant recipients. Of 1321 transplant recipients who met inclusion criteria, 82 (6.2%) developed cancer (62 males [75.6%] and 20 females [24.4%]). Among this group, 23 patients (28%) had deceased donors and 59 (72%) had living donors. One kidney transplant recipient developed squamous cell carcinoma, followed by basal cell carcinoma approximately 1 year later. Among patients diagnosed with cancer, 33 (40.3%) developed basal or squamous cell skin cancers, 13 (15.9%) developed posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder/lymphoma, 6 (7.3%) developed Kaposi sarcoma, and 6 (7.3%) developed papillary thyroid carcinoma. At the time of study, 60 patients (73.2%) were alive.

Posttransplant malignancy is a sub-stantial health issue. However, early detection through close monitoring allows for timely intervention, improving prognosis. Detection of disease at an early stage enables treatment with surgical resection in most patients. Early diagnosis is needed in this patient group with a high risk of malignancy.