The Incidence of Genitourinary Malignancies in Post-Cardiac Transplant Recipients

Rosalia Viterbo, Michael A. Pontari, Jack H. Mydlo
Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA

Introduction: An increased incidence of neoplasms have been observed in patients on immunosuppressive therapy after receiving organ transplant. However, the patterns and incidence of post-transplant malignancy is greatly influenced by many factors including type of organ transplanted and immunosuppressive regimen. We reviewed our experience with genitourinary malignancy in cardiac transplant recipients
to address issues of cancer treatment, surveillance and outcome.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the transplant database at Temple University, Philadelphia, which contains information on patients who underwent cardiac transplantation between 1984 and 2003. We searched for any heart recipient who had developed de novo or recurrent prostate, bladder or kidney cancer. The UNOS database was searched between 1988 and 2001for comparison.
Results: At our institution a total of 153 de novo malignant neoplasms were found in 121of 940 patients (M=739; F=201). The percentage of de novo malignancies occurring in post-cardiac transplant recipients was 16.8%. There were a total of 15 genitourinary malignancies identified in our post-cardiac transplant patients (1.6%). 10 patients were identified who had prostate cancer (1.0%), 3 had bladder cancer (0.3%) and 2 had kidney cancer (0.2%).
Conclusions: Patients on immunosuppressive therapy after cardiac transplant do not have an elevated risk of developing de novo malignancy in prostate, bladder and renal cancer when compared to the general population in the U.S.

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