Deceased organ donors with a history of cancer (v1.0 Aug 2019)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The safety of solid organ transplantation from deceased donors with a history of cancer
IRAS ID
265278
Contact name
George Greenhall
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Blood and Transplant
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 1 months, 22 days
Research summary
Organ donation carries a small risk of transmitting cancer from a donor to the recipient. The risk of cancer transmission is not the same for all types of cancer. For some patients, staying on the waiting list is also risky. Many lives have been saved by performing transplants from donors with a history of cancer.
Spreading cancer in this way is extremely rare, and transplant specialists take all possible steps to prevent it. However, as the UK population ages and cancer care improves, more people with a history of cancer and being considered as potential organ donors. It is therefore important to gain a better understanding of the risk of donor transmitted cancer (DTC), what can be done to reduce the risk, and how it can be treated.
We aim to examine the safety of solid organ donation from deceased donors with a history of cancer in the United Kingdom. We will link data from national disease registries to analyse detailed information on a large number of organ donors and recipients.
Our study will help to make transplantation safer and provide the best evidence available to the transplant community on this important issue. Our findings will help to refine national guidelines which will assist patients and doctors when faced with difficult decisions. We may help to identify more patients that can safely donate their organs when they die, which would save more lives.REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1433
Date of REC Opinion
13 Sep 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion