Immunologic Rejection of Human Cancer Transplanted with a Renal Allograft

Abstract

Metastatic carcinoma of the bronchus, inadvertently transferred to a patient when a kidney was transplanted from a cadaveric source, underwent immunologic rejection in the new host. This metastatic focus in and around the transplanted kidney did not appear until 18 months after the allograft was placed. When immunosuppressive therapy was discontinued, the previously functioning kidney was promptly rejected whereas tumor growth did not appear to be altered. After removal of the kidney, however, the residual cancer disappeared. The patient received a second kidney transplant nine months after removal of the first. There has been no evidence of further metastatic cancer despite resumption of a full program of immunosuppression.