Risk of renal cancer in liver transplant recipients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

•We performed a meta-analysis based on 8 eligible articles for the risk of renal cancer in liver transplant recipient. These studies were based on several developed countries, which included USA, UK, Finland, Sweden, German, Canada, Japan, Netherlands.•We also performed sensitivity analyses and publication bias analyses.•This meta-analysis showed a significantly increased risk of developing renal cancer in LTRs.

Liver transplantation is associated with a significantly increased risk of de novo malignancies, but for renal cancer this risk is less clear. We therefore performed a meta-analysis of published studies to determine whether renal cancer risk in liver transplant recipients (LTRs) was increased. To obtain a more precise conclusion, a systematic search was performed in PubMed and Web of Science databases until June 10, 2015. Standardized incidence ratio (SIR) corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to estimate risk of renal cancer in LTRs. Heterogeneity test, sensitivity analysis, and publishing bias were also performed. We identified 8 eligible studies and performed a meta-analysis on data of 49,654 LTRs with a total follow-up of 121,514.6 patient-years. The SIR for renal cancer was identified a 3.275-fold higher SIR (95% CI: 1.857–5.777; P < 0.001) in LTRs compared with the general population. This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that the LTRs was associated with a significant increase in the incidence of renal cancer. Such association suggests that yearly routine post-transplant surveillance is need for renal cancer in LTRs.