Can imperfect kidneys be safely transplanted?
Monday December 28th, 2009
By Jane Collingwood
Kidneys from donors who have had cancer can be safely used for transplants,
surgeons have found.
This
approach could help offset the current organ shortage, say Dr Michael
Phelan and colleagues at the University of Maryland, USA.
Five successful kidney transplants have taken place after small cancerous and benign masses have been removed from the organs. This could be particularly beneficial for patients with end-stage renal disease, say the surgeons in the December issue of the Journal of the British Association of Urological Surgeons.
Dr Phelan said: "Transplanting a living donor kidney which has been affected by a renal mass is controversial and considered a high risk.
"However the ongoing shortage of organs from deceased donors, and the high risk of dying while waiting for a transplant, prompted five donors and recipients to push ahead with surgery after the small masses were found in the donor kidneys."
Three of the five masses contained cancerous cells, which were removed along with surrounding tissue. Pathologists checked that the tumour had been completely removed before transplant.
None of the patients had died from related complications by the last follow-up, nine to 41 months later.
Dr Phelan said: "The global increase in patients with end-stage renal disease highlights the importance of identifying novel means to increase the donor pool. Many patients die each year while waiting for a transplant.
"The current study provides evidence to suggest that kidneys from donors with renal masses offer a minor, yet feasible, solution to the current organ shortage. These organs can be transplanted into recipients with limited life-expectancy on haemodialysis after careful removal of the renal mass."
Sener, A. et al. Living-donor renal transplantation of grafts with incident renal masses after ex-vivo partial nephrectomy. BJUI, Vol. 104, December 2009, pp. 1655-60.
Tags: Internal Medicine | North America
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