Renal transplantation in a child with Burkitt's lymphoma

An 11-year-old child who was given radiation to the abdomen for Burkitt's lymphoma of the cecum had irreversible renal failure requiring hemodialysis. Because renal transplantation is associated with a greater risk of lymphoma (35 times) even in patients without prior history of cancer, it was feared that the risk of recurrence of lymphoma was considerably greater in this child. However, a cadaver renal transplant given after one year of hemodialysis has functioned exceedingly well for more than five years. There has been no recurrence of the tumor, and the patient is fully rehabilitated and is a normal healthy teenager in all respects. To our knowledge, this the first report of a successful renal transplant in a patient with preexisting Burkitt's lymphoma.