Cancer Risk Factors and Prognosis in Transplant Patients

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1251

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The immune system, with its multiple pathways, links the fascinating worlds of transplantation and cancer, in terms of diagnosis, management and treatment, especially in the era of precision medicine. As a result, it is no surprise that there is great interest in the types of cancer that transplant patients may face in higher numbers compared to the non-immunosuppressed population, as well as in the increasing potential of transplant oncology as a therapy for several types of cancer. In addition, the role and modulation of immunosuppression, with a great variety of different medications and protocols, is critical in caring for these patients.

We are pleased to invite clinicians, surgeons, and basic science and clinical researchers to contribute to this Special Issue, where the aim is to discuss topics such as the following:

  • Risk factors for new cancers after transplantation;
  • The diagnosis and management of cancer after transplantation;
  • The role of liver transplantation in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma;
  • The evolving nature of transplant oncology;
  • The role of liver transplantation in the management of cholangiocarcinoma;
  • The role of liver transplantation in the management of hepatic metastatic disease, including metastasis from neuroendocrine lesions and colorectal cancer;
  • Adapting immunosuppression in a patient with cancer after transplantation;
  • Evaluating donors with a cancer history;
  • Psychosocial support of the transplant patient with a malignancy;
  • Cancer in transplant patients in the age of artificial intelligence.

For this Special Issue, submissions of original research articles and reviews are welcome. We are looking forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Georgios Tsoulfas
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • post-transplant malignancy
  • transplant oncology
  • liver transplantation
  • multidisciplinary care
  • artificial intelligence
  • precision medicine
  • immunosuppression
  • transplant immunology
  • cancer immunology
  • cancer diagnosis

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 913 KiB  
Article
Does the Organ Matter in PTLD Development in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients? A Multicenter Observational Study of Risk and Prognostic Factors
by Rafał Staros, Bartosz Foroncewicz, Dorota Kamińska, Dominika Dęborska-Materkowska, Sławomir Lizakowski, Izabela Zakrocka, Joanna Raszeja-Wyszomirska, Anita Stanjek-Cichoracka, Anna Pawłowska, Emilia Knioła, Paweł Poznański, Jolanta Gozdowska, Alicja Dębska-Ślizień, Wojciech Załuska, Marek Ochman, Agnieszka Kołkowska-Leśniak, Michał Grąt, Tomasz Stompór, Magdalena Durlik, Radosław Zagożdżon, Zbigniew Gałązka, Maciej Kosieradzki, Krzysztof Zieniewicz, Leszek Pączek and Krzysztof Muchaadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Cancers 2025, 17(11), 1770; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17111770 - 25 May 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: The risk of post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) varies according to the type of transplanted organ. To investigate the factors contributing to PTLD development and treatment outcomes, we established a multicenter registry that included patients diagnosed with PTLD within a population of 13,263 [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The risk of post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) varies according to the type of transplanted organ. To investigate the factors contributing to PTLD development and treatment outcomes, we established a multicenter registry that included patients diagnosed with PTLD within a population of 13,263 kidney, liver, and lung transplant recipients (KTRs, LTRs, and LngTRs, respectively), observed in a period between 2000 and 2023. Methods: The chi-squared test was used to analyze differences in group composition. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression were applied to determine the impact of factors upon PTLD onset and patient survival. Results: Our registry included 58 out of 9432 KTRs, 40 out of 3500 LTRs, and 5 out of 331 LngTRs. The median time to PTLD onset was significantly longer among KTRs (117 months post-transplant) than among LTRs (49 months, p < 0.001) and LngTRs (5 months, p < 0.001). LTRs treated with tacrolimus developed PTLD later compared to LTRs treated with cyclosporin (p = 0.042). In multivariate analysis, older age at first transplantation correlated with earlier disease development in SOTRs (HR = 1.03, p = 0.006) and KTRs (HR = 1.04, p = 0.003). Older age at first transplantation was also associated with worse survival among KTRs (p = 0.045). Conclusions: We identified clear differences in the factors affecting PTLD onset and survival between KTRs and LTRs. Organ-specific analyses are needed to improve our understanding of PTLD risk factors, treatment choices, and clinical outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Risk Factors and Prognosis in Transplant Patients)
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Review

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14 pages, 264 KiB  
Review
Expanding Indications in Transplant Oncology
by Erlind Allkushi, Chase J. Wehrle, JaeKeun Kim, Mazhar Khalil, David C. H. Kwon, Masato Fujiki, Antonio D. Pinna, Charles Miller, Andrea Schlegel, Federico Aucejo, Koji Hashimoto and Alejandro Pita
Cancers 2025, 17(5), 773; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17050773 - 25 Feb 2025
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Abstract
Liver transplantation is aptly described as the only curative treatment for cirrhosis and cirrhosis with co-morbid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Its utility in the management of various other primary and secondary liver cancers is gaining traction rapidly, with more thorough assessments on broader populations [...] Read more.
Liver transplantation is aptly described as the only curative treatment for cirrhosis and cirrhosis with co-morbid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Its utility in the management of various other primary and secondary liver cancers is gaining traction rapidly, with more thorough assessments on broader populations continuing to emerge. Most prominently, this includes colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM), cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), and more. Furthermore, despite being a well described treatment for HCC for many years, growing evidence supports a change in oncological strategy for HCC, with broadened selection criteria and more advanced systemic and locoregional therapies available. Our review aims to describe the evidence supporting the expansion of indications and selection criteria for liver transplantation in various oncologic indications of primary and secondary liver tumors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Risk Factors and Prognosis in Transplant Patients)
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