Lung donor: a woman dies of lung cancer

About a year and a half after receiving the lungs of a long-time smoker, a Frenchman died of lung cancer. A study now published in the journal "Lung Cancer" therefore warns about the risks badociated with organ transplantation smokers.

According to the report, the patient, who has had cystic fibrosis since childhood, received the lungs of a 57-year-old man in November 2015, who smoked a pack of cigarettes for 30 years, according to available data .

In June 2017, the recipient of the lung was admitted to the cancer department of the University Hospital of Montpellier, where she died of lung cancer two months later, without treatment possible. The study showed that the patient exhibited typical symptoms of lung cancer induced by smoking.

The authors of the study require rethinking

The short interval between organ transplantation and the appearance of early irregularities in chest X-rays indicated that the cancer had already been triggered for the life of the donor, said the study's authors. The anti-immune medications that the organ recipient had to take to prevent rejection of the donor's organ would have promoted the development of cancer.

Given the long latency period of lung cancer, it is advisable to reconsider the transplantation of smokers' lungs or donors who have recently quit smoking, the authors concluded.