Transplantation of a Kidney With a Renal Cell Carcinoma After Living Donation: A Case Report

Transmission of cancer is a serious risk in organ transplantation. We present a case of
renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in a kidney obtained from a living donor. A 48-year-old
mother was evaluated for donation to her 12-year-old daughter. Donor renal ultrasound,
intravenous pyelography, and angiography were normal. A 5 � 5 mm nodule found on the
surface of the kidney during harvesting was totally excised before transplantation. The
histology revealed RCC with free margins at 2 weeks after transplantation. The immunosuppressive
drugs consisted of cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisolone.
The graft function remained stable. Donor and recipient are without evidence of tumor
recurrence at 15 months after transplantation. This experience indicated that donor
kidneys with small, incidental RCC may be managed with excision and transplantation,
without tumor recurrence in recipients who are informed of the potential risks of
recurrence and metastases