Chemotherapy and Transplantation: The Role of Immunosuppression in Malignancy and a Review of Antineoplastic Agents in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Abstract

It is estimated that solid organ transplant recipients have a two- to fourfold greater overall risk of malignancy than the general population. Some of the most common malignancies after transplant include skin cancers and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder. In addition to known risk factors such as environmental exposures, genetics, and infection with oncogenic viruses, immunosuppression plays a large role in the development of cancer through the loss of the immunosurveillance process. The purpose of this article is to explain the role of immunosuppression in cancer and to review the classes of chemotherapeutics. The field of anticancer drugs is continually expanding and developing, with limited data on use in transplant recipients. This article aims to provide information on class review, adverse effects, dose adjustments, and drug interactions that are pertinent to the care of transplant recipients.

Keywords: cancer/malignancy/neoplasia: chemotherapy; clinical research/practice; immunosuppressant; immunosuppression/immune modulation; pharmacology.