Transmission of donor malignancies is rare with 18 cases from 34,933 cadaver donors and 3 cases from 32,052 living donors being reported to UNOS from 1994-2001 (1,2).  Donors with past histories of certain types of cancers may be considered as donors (3) including certain types of primary CNS tumors (4).  Tumors that pose a high transmission risk include choriocarcinoma, melanoma, lymphoma, and carcinoma of the lung, colon, breast, kidney and thyroid.  High risk donors include glioblastoma multiforme, high grade astrocytomas, medulloblastomas, and any brain tumor donor who has undergone ventriculo-peritoneal shunting.

Supporting Documents for Donor-Related Malignancies

Bibliography

1. Transplantation 74:358-62, 2002.  Transplant Tumor Registry: Donor Related Malignancies.
2. Transplantation Reviews 16:177-91, 2002.  Donor-Related Malignancies.
3. Transplantation 70:1747-51, 2000.  First Report of the United Network for Organ Sharing Transplant Tumor Registry: Donors with a History of Cancer.
4. Transplantation 73:579-82, 2002.  Transplant Tumor Registry: Donors with Central Nervous System Tumors.