Kidney International
Volume 79, Issue 8, 2011, Pages 908-913

De novo malignancy is associated with renal transplant tourism (Article) (Open Access)

Tsai M.-K. , Yang C.-Y. , Lee C.-Y. , Yeh C.-C. , Hu R.-H.* , Lee P.-H.
  • a Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
  • b Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
  • c Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
  • d Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
  • e Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan
  • f Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan

Abstract

Despite the objections to transplant tourism raised by the transplant community, many patients continue travel to other countries to receive commercial transplants. To evaluate some long-term complications, we reviewed medical records of 215 Taiwanese patients (touring group) who received commercial cadaveric renal transplants in China and compared them with those of 321 transplant recipients receiving domestic cadaveric renal transplants (domestic group) over the same 20-year period. Ten years after transplant, the graft and patient survival rates of the touring group were 55 and 81.5%, respectively, compared with 60 and 89.3%, respectively, of the domestic group. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. The 10-year cumulative cancer incidence of the touring group (21.5%) was significantly higher than that of the domestic group (6.8%). Univariate and multivariate stepwise regression analyses (excluding time on immunosuppression, an uncontrollable factor) indicated that transplant tourism was associated with significantly higher cancer incidence. Older age at transplantation was associated with a significantly increased cancer risk; however, the risk of de novo malignancy significantly decreased with longer graft survival. Thus, renal transplant tourism may be associated with a higher risk of post-transplant malignancy, especially in patients of older age at transplantation. © 2011 International Society of Nephrology.

Author Keywords

Transplant tourism de novo malignancy Renal transplantation

Index Keywords

medical record review China breast cancer malignant neoplastic disease rapamycin human cadaver donor travel controlled study priority journal cancer risk OKT 3 Taiwan graft survival male female uterine cervix carcinoma liver cell carcinoma lymphocyte antibody tacrolimus bladder cancer colon carcinoma pancreas carcinoma Article ureter cancer kidney cancer major clinical study adult Kidney Transplantation medical tourism age transitional cell carcinoma disease association skin cancer basiliximab cyclosporin cancer incidence kidney graft rejection thymocyte antibody
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79953248034&doi=10.1038%2fki.2010.500&partnerID=40&md5=0d1dafd042df031495dfa55609aaa939
DOI: 10.1038/ki.2010.500
ISSN: 00852538
Cited by: 14
Original Language: English