Organ donor's cancer leads to recipient's death in rare case

A transplant recipient has tragically passed away after developing cancer that originated from his organ donor. The unnamed patient, a 69-year-old from Arizona, underwent a liver transplant to treat his liver cancer but ended up contracting a more aggressive form of the disease and succumbing to it months later.

Rare and tragic case

Doctors believe that the aggressive cancer that led to the patient's death came solely from the organ donor, as it had not been previously diagnosed. The patient quickly developed unexpected masses on his liver which spread throughout his body, ultimately resulting in his demise.

Unprecedented findings

Cases of 'transplanted cancer' are extremely rare, with only a handful of sporadic instances documented in medical literature. In this unique case, lab results confirmed that the tumours that killed the patient were confined solely to his new liver, with no cancer detected elsewhere in his body.

Unveiling the cause

Further investigations revealed that the aggressive form of metastatic lung cancer found in the patient originated from the organ donor, a 50-year-old individual who had passed away in 2019. The donor had no history of lung tumours or cancer, making this discovery even more unexpected.

Challenges and outcomes

Due to the spread of cancer, the patient was not eligible for another liver transplant or anti-rejection medications. Despite receiving chemotherapy drugs, the cancer progressed beyond treatment, leading to the patient's unfortunate demise. This case sheds light on the complexities and risks involved in organ transplantation.