Liver transplantation linked to colon cancer, NHL risk

Patients who underwent liver transplantation demonstrated an increased trend toward developing colon cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to a press release and data presented at this year’s American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting.

The study also showed that patients who underwent lung and heart transplantations had a demonstrated increased trend toward non-melanoma skin cancer.

According to senior study author Ayokunle Abegunde, MD, MSc, from the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, the immunosuppressant drugs that organ transplant recipients must take to prevent rejection put them at a higher risk for cancer as a weaker immune system is less able to attack cancer cells or infections that can lead to cancer.

Abegunde and colleagues analyzed data from 124,399 patients who underwent liver (67%), heart (22%) or lung transplant (11%).

More patients who underwent heart transplant received a cancer diagnosis posttransplant compared with patients who received a donor liver or lung (7.4% vs. 6.3%). Over time, increased rates of colon cancer and NHL were most common in liver transplant recipients, whereas heart and lung recipients were more likely to develop non-melanoma skin cancer.

The results suggest that liver transplant patients may benefit from more frequent colonoscopy screenings for colon cancer and heart and lung transplant patients may benefit from more active screening for skin cancer, Abegunde said during his presentation.

According to the press release, the study was one of less than 5% of accepted studies to receive a Presidential Poster Award in recognition of high-quality research that is unique and interesting. – by Talitha Bennett

Reference: Abegunde A, et al. Trends in Cancer Prevalence Among Liver, Heart and Lung Transplant Recipients in the United States, 2005 to 2014. Presented at: American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting; Oct. 5-10, 2018; Philadelphia.

Disclosure: Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease was unable to determine relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.