Management of high-grade ovarian adenocarcinoma in an intraperitoneal pelvic renal transplant recipient

Background

Number of organ transplant recipients continues to rise worldwide with increasing accessibility and growing advancements in transplant medicine. Transplant patients have at least a two-to-four fold higher risk of developing cancer compared to the general population. As the prevalence of transplant patients increases, a growing number of these patients are expected to present with concurrent conditions such as cancer, requiring more complex and interdisciplinary care.

Case

A 44-year-old patient with an intraperitoneal pelvic renal transplant, found to have high-grade ovarian adenocarcinoma most likely arising from endometriosis, successfully underwent surgical staging, adjuvant chemotherapy, and subsequent pelvic radiation for recurrence. Her kidney function and graft viability were preserved throughout her treatment with careful monitoring.

Conclusion

Management of reproductive tract cancers in kidney transplant recipients is complex. Current practices largely rely on evidence from observational studies and case reports for these cancers and more research is needed in this area.