Data Shows Organ Transplants are a Viable Option for Pediatric Cancer Patients

The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), which originated at the University of Minnesota Medical School, looked at the incidence of, risks for, and survival following kidney, lung, heart, and liver transplants in pediatric cancer survivors. Previously, there was no data regarding organ transplants in this selected demographic. Amanda Termuhlen, MD, lead researcher, Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs for the U of M Medical School, Dr. Andrew Dietz, who was a former U of M Medical School Pediatric Oncology Fellow, and a team of CCSS researchers developed a link between the United Network for Organ Sharing, a database for all organ transplants in the United States since 1987, and the data derived from the CCSS. The goal of this linkage was to collect information about medical treatment and continuing outcomes for children previously treated for cancer. Read the full article.