Cancer-related mortality among solid organ transplant recipients: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Authors

Charlotte Stephens, Rafeea Shah, Azm Hussain, Joseph Sturman, Yimeng Zhang, Felicity Baldwin, David Winter, Mike Hawkins, Raoul Reulen, Adnan Sharif

Published in

Frontiers in transplantation. Volume 5. Pages 1851859. Epub Jun 19, 2026.

Abstract

Organ transplantation is associated with an increased risk of cancer-related mortality; however, estimates from international cohorts vary widely. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to quantify this risk.
We searched MEDLINE and OVID Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) for population-based cohort studies reporting cancer-related mortality in adult solid organ transplant recipients up to 2nd October 2024. Meta-analysis was conducted using a restricted maximum likelihood random-effects model. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
Seventeen registry-based studies and multicentre cohort studies met inclusion criteria. The pooled standardised mortality ratio for cancer mortality was 2.21 (95% CI: 1.82-2.68). Meta-regression showed higher mortality after heart [mortality rate ratio (MRR) 2.08, 95% CI: 1.28-3.41] and lung (MRR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.09-3.06; p = 0.025) transplantation compared with kidney transplantation. Geographic variation was observed, with lower mortality in East Asia.
This meta-analysis demonstrates that solid organ transplantation is associated with an increased in overall cancer-related mortality compared with the general population, with variation by organ type and cancer site. Prostate cancer showed no excess mortality risk, supporting current guidance against additional screening. In contrast, mortality from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was increased fivefold, consistent with the established link between immunosuppression and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease. Notably, geographic variation was observed, with lower mortality in East Asia, likely reflecting differences lifestyle risk factors and health care structures. However significant between study heterogeneity exists, underscoring the need for tailored prevention strategies, rather than relying on aggregated global estimates in this high-risk population.
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024617474, identifier CRD42024617474.

PMID:
42405264
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 06 Jul 2026.

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