Allotransplanting donor kidneys after resection of a small renal cancer or contralateral healthy kidneys from cadaveric donors with unilateral renal cancer: a systematic review

This systematic review summarizes evidence on allotransplantation of donor kidneys after resection of a small renal cancer or contralateral healthy kidneys from cadaveric donors with unilateral renal cancer. Eligible studies were identified by screening four bibliographic databases, contacting key authors, and analyzing the bibliographies of included studies. Two reviewers independently assessed the reports for inclusion and extracted data, which were summarized as a narrative review. In the 20 case report or case series studies included in the analysis, there were 97 documented cases of donor kidney transplantation after resection of small renal cancer without pathologically confirmed recurrence, whereas 22 cases used contralateral healthy kidneys from cadaveric donors with unilateral renal cancer with one case of cancer recurrence. These results suggest that the use of donor kidneys after resection of small renal cancer is associated with a relatively low cancer recurrence rate.