A Donor Transmitted Melanoma in Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation

Transmission of cancer through organ donation is a rare but notable complication of transplantation, affecting 0.05% of transplant recipients in the UK. In this case a metastatic melanoma was transmitted through transplantation of pancreatic islet cells. Current screening practices make cases such as this incredibly infrequent, but the occurrence of such an event can significantly impact the health of the recipient. As the organ donor population increases in age and risk factors for malignancy, decisions around transplantation of high-risk organs may become more common in surgical practice. This case study discusses the genuine risk of donor transmitted cancer to the average transplant recipient and investigates the potential use of additional screening tests to stratify this risk in the future.