Liver Transplantation-Associated Lung Cancer: Comparison of Clinical Parameters and Outcomes

BackgroundThe incidence of lung cancer (LC) is increased in patients with a history of liver transplantation (LT). The purpose of our study was to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with postliver transplantation LC (PLTLC) with cohorts of patients with “transplant-naive” LC, and LT patients without LC.Patients and MethodsAll the patients who had undergone LT or had been diagnosed with LC from 1987 to 2012 were included in the present analysis. The PLTLC cohort was compared with a LT cohort (n = 725) and the local LC registry (n = 2803). The standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were computed in the classic manner after adjustment for sex, age, and year of follow-up.ResultsWithin the LT cohort, 22 patients (5 women) developed PLTLC (2.3%). The SIR for LC in LT recipients was 4.4 in the women and 2.6 in the men. The PLTLC cohort was older at LT (58.4 vs. 53.3 years; P = .028). Also, 90.5% of the PLTLC group had a history of smoking; 8 patients (42.1%) had had LC detected by annual routine lung cancer screening. The median post-LT survival was significantly inferior in the PLTLC cohort (117.1 vs. 182.6 months; P = .041). The median overall survival (OS), starting from the diagnosis of LC, was similar in the PLTLC and LC cohort (14.7 vs. 15.1 months; P = .519).ConclusionThe incidence of LC is significantly increased in the LT population. Therefore, LC screening might be an option for LT patients with a history of smoking. The prognosis of LC does not seem to be impaired by LT, suggesting a minor effect of LT on OS in patients with lung cancer.