Malignancy in renal transplant recipients

Abstract

With improved management of infectious and cardiovascular complications of renal transplant recipients, prolonged survival with long-term follow up duration, and increasing age of patients, cancer became an increasingly important cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant patients. Literatures indicate three to fivefold incidence of malignancy in solid organ transplant recipients compared with that of general population. Certain types of malignancy, such as skin cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, lymphoma, cervical, oral and anogenital cancer, hepatocelluar and renal cell carcinoma are particularly reported to be high in incidence. Reduction of immunosuppressive medication is the first step to be considered for the management, especially for virus-associated cancer. The inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin(mTORi) suppresses the growth and proliferation of tumors in various animal models, cured Kaposi's sarcoma and seems to reduce the incidence of de novo malignancies of renal transplant recipients, and is therefore a valuable option for the management of cancer of these patients without increment of the risk of graft rejection.