Cancer transmissions and non-transmissions from solid organ transplantation in an Australian cohort of deceased and living organ donors

Recipient Outcomes After Utilization of Kidneys From Deceased Donors With Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme

BACKGROUND

The exact incidence of donor tumor transmission in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is still unknown. These transplants are usually considered as a high-risk endeavor due to fear of potential spread especially with medical intervention leading to breach in blood-brain barrier. This report describes successful outcomes after renal transplantation from two donors with World Health Organization (WHO) Grade IV primary GBM who had undergone surgical excision with ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS).

METHODS

Between January 2019 and June 2024, case records of organ donors where the primary cause of death was GBM were screened from the departmental database. Renal transplant patients from donors with a histopathological diagnosis GBM WHO Grade IV were included in the study. The follow-up of these recipients was recorded for tumor transmission, delayed graft function, patient and graft survival.

RESULTS

Only kidneys were retrieved from these donors. The donor's kidneys were transplanted to four consented recipients after taking informed consent explaining the risks. During the mean follow-up of 3 years, all four patients were alive with good graft function. Nuclear scan at 3, 6 months, and yearly thereafter showed no abnormal uptake or no evidence of donor-transmitted tumor transmission in any of these patients.

CONCLUSION

High-grade GBM donors with no evidence of systemic spread may be considered for renal transplantation.

Kidney Transplantation From Donors With Malignant Renal Masses: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Small malignant renal tumors can be found in up to 1.3% of kidney donors. Several studies have investigated the use of these kidneys for transplantation, after ex vivo resection of the malignant mass.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of the literature on PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science of studies including reports of malignant renal masses excised from kidney grafts prior to transplantation. Articles including benign pathology only were excluded.

RESULTS

Our search strategy identified 226 patients over 32 studies. Pathology included 107 clear cell carcinomas, 27 papillary renal cell carcinomas (RCCs), 84 other types of RCCs, and 8 transitional cell carcinomas. The majority of cancers were grade 1 or 2 (81.6%). Average tumor size was 12.6 mm. Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3 complication rate was 22%. Mean follow-up was 39.9 months. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rate for recipients of living donor grafts was 95.8%, 92.1%, and 75.1%. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year living donor death-censored graft survival rate was 90.8, 85.2%, and 64.8%. Of the 226 patients, 6 (2.7%) experienced a malignant recurrence. The average time to recurrence was 36.1 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Transplantation of kidney grafts after resection of small cancerous masses is relatively safe and has low rates of recurrent malignancy. In the case of a living donor, appropriate counseling on partial nephrectomy versus donor nephrectomy should be provided, ideally by a surgeon who is not part of the transplant team. Recipients of these grafts should be carefully selected and counseled regarding the additional potential technical and oncological risks.

Cancer risk in people living with HIV and solid organ transplant recipients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Systematic evaluations of cancer risk in people living with HIV or AIDS (PLHIV) and solid organ transplant recipients provide unique insights into the role of the immune system in cancer development. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we expand previous analyses of cancer risk for these two immunocompromised populations.

METHODS

We considered studies published in English and listed on PubMed or Embase up to July 1, 2022. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they used population-based registries and compared cancer incidence in PLHIV or solid organ transplant recipients with the general population in the same geographical area. We extracted the number of observed site-specific cancers and expected cases and calculated meta-standardised incidence ratios for cancer within PLHIV and solid organ transplant recipients. In solid organ transplant recipients meta-standardised incidence ratios were compared by organ type. This project is registered on PROSPERO, CRD42022366679.

FINDINGS

46 studies in PLHIV and 67 in solid organ transplant recipients were included in the analysis. Meta-standardised incidence ratios for cancers associated with human papillomavirus were increased in both populations; the highest meta-standardised incidence ratio in PLHIV was anal cancer (37·28 [95% CI 23·65-58·75], I2=97·4%), and in solid organ transplant recipients was cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (45·87 [31·70-66·38], I2=99·0%). Meta-standardised incidence ratios were significantly increased for most non-HPV viral-infection-related cancers in both populations; the highest standard incidence ratios were for Kaposi sarcoma (PLHIV: 801·52 [95% CI 200·25-3208·13], I2=100·0%; solid organ transplant recipients: 47·31 [23·09-96·95], I2=87·7%) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (32·53 [19·64-53·87], I2=99·8%; 10·24 [8·48-12·35], I2=94·9%). Eight types of cancer with no known viral cause showed an increased risk in solid organ transplant recipients only; no cancer type showed increased risk in PLHIV only.

INTERPRETATION

Cancer risk was increased for a range of infection-related cancers in both PLHIV and solid organ transplant recipients, but divergent results in these and other cancers have emerged. The cancer risk patterns probably reflect variances in the degree of impaired immunity, exposure to carcinogenic viruses, and perhaps exposure to carcinogenic immunosuppressive agents.

FUNDING

US National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.

Case report: A successful clinical experience of transplantation of liver and kidney from a donor with myelodysplastic syndromes

With a shortage of organs for transplant, the use of marginal donors can be an effective measure to meet the shortfall. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are considered an absolute contraindication for organ donation because of the high invasive potential. Currently, organ transplantation from donors with a past history of MDS has not been reported. In this paper, we report the successful clinical experience of one liver transplantation and two kidney transplantations, with organs donated by a 39-year-old patient diagnosed with a past history of MDS following intracranial hemorrhage. Four and a half years after transplantation, the three recipients are all doing well. However, it is still not clear to what extent organs donated by patients with a past history of MDS can be safely transplanted. This report provides support for the careful use of marginal donors. With effective treatment and full peer assessment, livers and kidneys from donors with a past history of MDS may be safely transplanted.

Donors With a Prior History of Cancer: Factors of Non-Utilization of Kidneys for Transplantation

Cancer transmission from deceased donors is an exceedingly rare but potentially fatal complication in transplant recipients. We aimed to quantify the likelihood of non-utilization of kidneys for transplantation from donors with a prior cancer history. We included all intended and actual deceased donors in Australia and New Zealand between 1989 and 2017. Association between prior cancer history and non-utilization of donor kidneys was examined using adjusted logistic regression. Of 9,485 deceased donors, 345 (4%) had a prior cancer history. Of 345 donors with a prior cancer history, 197 (57%) were utilized for transplantation. Donor characteristics of age, sex and comorbidities were similar between utilized and non-utilized donors with prior cancer. The time from cancer to organ donation was similar between utilized and non-utilized donors, irrespective of cancer subtypes. Donors with a prior cancer history were less likely to be utilized [adjusted OR (95% CI) 2.29 (1.68-3.13)] than donors without prior cancer. Of all actual donors, the adjusted OR for non-utilization among those with prior cancer was 2.36 (1.58-3.53). Non-melanoma skin cancer was the most frequent prior cancer type for utilized and non-utilized potential donors. Donors with prior cancers were less likely to be utilized for transplantation, with no discernible differences in cancer characteristics between utilized and non-utilized donors.

Cost-effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Utilization of Kidneys From Deceased Donors With Primary Brain Malignancy in an Australian Setting

Kidneys from potential deceased donors with brain cancer are often foregone due to concerns of cancer transmission risk to recipients. There may be uncertainty around donors' medical history and their absolute transmission risk or risk-averse decision-making among clinicians. However, brain cancer transmissions are rare, and prolonging waiting time for recipients is harmful.

Methods

We assessed the cost-effectiveness of increasing utilization of potential deceased donors with brain cancer using a Markov model simulation of 1500 patients waitlisted for a kidney transplant, based on linked transplant registry data and with a payer perspective (Australian government). We estimated costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for three interventions: decision support for clinicians in assessing donor risk, improved cancer classification accuracy with real-time data-linkage to hospital records and cancer registries, and increased risk tolerance to allow intermediate-risk donors (up to 6.4% potential transmission risk).

Results

Compared with current practice, decision support provided 0.3% more donors with an average transmission risk of 2%. Real-time data-linkage provided 0.6% more donors (1.1% average transmission risk) and increasing risk tolerance (accepting intermediate-risk 6.4%) provided 2.1% more donors (4.9% average transmission risk). Interventions were dominant (improved QALYs and saved costs) in 78%, 80%, and 87% of simulations, respectively. The largest benefit was from increasing risk tolerance (mean +18.6 QALYs and AU$2.2 million [US$1.6 million] cost-savings).

Conclusions

Despite the additional risk of cancer transmission, accepting intermediate-risk donors with brain cancer is likely to increase the number of donor kidneys available for transplant, improve patient outcomes, and reduce overall healthcare expenditure.

[Breast cancer and organ transplantation: Systematic review and meta-analysis]

OBJECTIVES

Our main objective was to investigate donor-transmitted epithelial cancers of all origins in comparison with breast cancers, with analysis of the carcinological outcome of recipients. Our secondary objective was to define medical check-up to be performed before any organ procurement from a donor with a history of breast cancer.

METHODOLOGY

We performed a systematic review of the literature up to June 1st 2022 by including all original articles (including clinical cases) reporting cases of epithelial cancer transmitted from donor to recipient, followed by a meta-analysis of epidemiological and survival data.

RESULTS

In total, we included 52 articles (31 clinical cases and 21 cohort studies), representing 91,388 donors, 236,142 recipients, and 2591 cases of transmitted cancer. The risk of transmitted cancer was significantly higher with a history of breast cancer compared with a history of other cancer (RR=9.48 P=0.0025). In clinical cases, the pre-donation check-up was specified in only 33.3% of publications. The time between transplantation and cancer occurrence was longer in cases of breast cancer transmission compared to other epithelial cancers: 1435.8 days versus 297.6 (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Organ donation from a person previously treated for breast cancer or having a risk of occult breast cancer is possible in some situations but requires an adapted pre-donation assessment, the respect of good practice guidelines and an expert opinion in complex situations.

Perceived Versus Verified Cancer History and Missed Opportunities for Donation in an Australian Cohort of Potential Deceased Solid Organ Donors

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background.

There is an imperative to maximize donation opportunities given ongoing organ shortages, but donor suitability assessments can be challenging.

Methods.

We analyzed an Australian cohort of potential deceased donors 2010 to 2013 to explore misclassification of cancer risk and potential strategies for improvement (decision support, real-time data linkage to existing data sets, and increasing risk tolerance). Cancer history perceived at referral was compared with verified cancer history in linked health records. Transmission risks were based on clinical guidelines. Potential donors declined due to cancer but verified low risk were missed opportunities; those accepted but verified high risk were excess-risk donors.

Results.

Among 472 potentially suitable donor referrals, 132 (28%) were declined because of perceived transmission risk and 340 (72%) donated. Assuming a low-risk threshold, there were 38/132 (29%) missed opportunities and 5/340 (1%) excess-risk donors. With decision support, there would have been 5 (13%) fewer missed opportunities and 2 (40%) more excess-risk donors; with real-time data linkage, 6 (16%) fewer missed opportunities and 2 (40%) fewer excess-risk donors; and with increased risk tolerance, 6 (16%) fewer missed opportunities and 11 (220%) more excess-risk donors.

Conclusions.

Potential donors’ cancer history is typically incomplete at referral. There are missed opportunities where decision support or more accurate cancer history could safely increase organ donors.

Transplant International: a new beginning

With this issue, Transplant International (TI) reveals its new attires! A new logo, a new cover page design and a new style accompany a re-branding effort by ESOT, but also denote the new spirit and the new strategic positioning of our journal.