Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in solid organ transplant recipients — Results from the scientific registry of transplant recipients (SRTR) database

Background

Solid organ transplant recipients have an elevated risk of cancer following organ transplantation than the age-adjusted general population. We assessed incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in heart, lung, and liver recipients.

Basic procedures/methods

This retrospective cohort study included 124,966 patients from the United States Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) database who received heart, lung, or liver transplantation between 1991 and 2010. Follow-up data were available until 2018. Patients with prevalent HNSCC at transplantation were excluded. Incident cases of HNSCC post organ transplantation were identified, and incidence rates (per 100,000 person-years) were reported by gender, race, organ type, year and age at organ transplantation.

Main findings

The majority of patients received liver transplantation (58.64 %), followed by heart (28.64 %), and lung (12.72 %) transplantation. During follow-up, 4.14 % patients developed HNSCC. Overall incidence rate of HNSCC was 426.76 per 100,000 person-years. Male recipients had a higher HNSCC incidence rate than female recipients (571.8 and 177.0 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). Lung recipients had the highest overall HNSCC incidence rate (1273.6 per 100,000 person-years), followed by heart (644.2 per 100,000 person-years), and liver recipients (207.1 per 100,000 person-years). Overall, an increase in HNSCC incidence rate was observed with increase in age at organ transplantation. An increase in incidence rates of HNSCC over time was observed in lung recipients; however, incidence rates decreased over time in heart recipients.

Conclusion

Solid organ transplant recipients have a high incidence of HNSCC following organ transplantation, and the incidence varies by type of organ received.