Data Compares Post-Transplant Cancer Rates

Authors: H. Myron Kauffman, M.D., Wida S. Cherikh, Ph.D., Yulin Cheng, Douglas W. Hanto, M.D., Barry D. Kahan, M.D., Ph.D.

A study of more than 33,000 kidney transplant patients in the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network/United Network for Organ Sharing database shows that patients taking maintenance immunosuppressant medications with mTOR inhibitors are less likely to develop post-transplant cancer than those taking traditional calcineurin inhibitors.

An analysis of the data appeared in the October 15 issue of Transplantation. This is the largest analysis of its kind, comparing transplant drug regimens to see if newer drugs have had any impact on the disproportionate malignancy rates seen in transplant recipients.

"People who have a successful organ transplant are unfortunately facing an increased long-term risk of developing de-novo malignancies, and excessive immunosuppression, particularly with certain drugs, is a substantial contributing factor," said Dr. H. M. Kauffman, a Senior Research Scientist at UNOS. "Our study clearly shows that the mTOR inhibitors offer a significant benefit in reducing short-term malignancy rates in transplant recipients (UNOS).”