Heart Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Heart Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Lung cancer after heart transplantation: a 17-year experience.

Potaris K, Radovancevic B, Thomas CD, Gregoric I, Vaporciyan AA, Riggs SA, Radovancevic R, Vaughn WK, Frazier OH

Department of Cardiopulmonary Transplantation, Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas 77225-0345, USA.

BACKGROUND: The effects of heart transplantation on lung cancer incidence in heart transplant recipients are unclear. METHODS: In an observational study, we retrospectively reviewed the charts of all patients undergoing heart transplantation at our institution from July 1982 to July 1999. Data on lung cancer incidence, risk factors, treatment, and outcome were collected. RESULTS: Five hundred seventy-two patients (mean age, 50 +/- 11 years; range, 18 to 73) were considered at risk for lung cancer. Of these, 324 (57%) had a more than 20 pack-year history of smoking before transplantation. Lung cancer developed in 2 patients 1 year or less after transplantation and in 8 patients more than 1 year after transplantation (incidence, 2.2 per 1,000 patients per year of follow-up). Non-small cell lung cancer was diagnosed in all cases. Median survival was 10.8 months (range, 2 to 37.5). Routine annual chest radiographs after transplantation enabled early diagnosis in 5 cases (stages Ia and IIa), which correlated with better mean survival (28.1 months [range, 19 to 37.5] versus 5.1 months [range, 2 to 10.8]; p = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of lung cancer in our population of heart transplant recipients appears to be no higher than in nontransplant populations with similar risk factors (ie, smoking and age). Routine radiographic imaging of transplant recipients may allow earlier detection of lung cancer and thus offer a survival benefit.

Published 28 February 2005 in Ann Thorac Surg, 79(3): 980-3.
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