Donors with central nervous system malignancies: are they truly safe?
BACKGROUND
In an era of organ shortage, the use of expanded or marginal donors has been attempted to increase transplantation rates and diminish waiting list mortality. One strategy is the use of organs from patients with a history of or active central nervous system (CNS) tumor.


METHODS
Sixty-two recipients were identified as the recipients of organs from donors with a history of or active CNS malignancy. Patient demographics, donor tumor management, incidence of tumor transmission, and patient survival were examined.


RESULTS
Of the organs recovered and transplanted from donors with astrocytoma, 14 were associated with at least one risk factor including high-grade tumor (n=4), prior surgery (n=5), radiation therapy (n=4), and systemic chemotherapy (n=4). One tumor transmission was identified at 20 months posttransplant with the patient expiring from metastatic disease. Twenty-six organs were transplanted from glioblastoma patients with 15 demonstrating risk factors including high-grade tumor (n=9) and prior surgery (n=10). Eight transmissions were identified with a range of 2 to 15 months posttransplant, with seven patients dying as the result of metastatic disease. Seven organs were used from donors with a medulloblastoma. Three transmissions were identified at a range of 5 to 7 months, all associated with ventriculoperitoneal shunts. Two medulloblastoma recipients died as the result of metastatic disease, whereas the third is alive with diffuse disease. The rate of donor tumor transmission, in the absence of risk factors, was 7%, whereas in the presence of one or more risk factor this rate dramatically rose to 53% (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Organs from donors with CNS tumors can be used with a low risk of donor tumor transmission in the absence of the following risk factors: high-grade tumors, ventriculoperitoneal or ventriculoatrial shunts, prior craniotomy, and systemic chemotherapy.
Buell
Joseph F
JF
Department of Surgery, The Israel Penn International Transplant Tumor Registry, The University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, OH 45267-0558, USA. Joseph.buell@uc.edu
Trofe
Jennifer
J
Sethuraman
Gopalan
G
Hanaway
Michael J
MJ
Beebe
Thomas M
TM
Gross
Thomas G
TG
Alloway
Rita
R
First
M Roy
MR
Woodle
E Steve
ES
D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000401:mortality*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000401:mortality; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data