I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Transplant Discussion => Topic started by: 7piglets on May 03, 2008, 04:47:01 PM

Title: Cancer and Transplant
Post by: 7piglets on May 03, 2008, 04:47:01 PM
I curious I can't get on kidney list due to cancer .. However, if someone wanted to donate to me would a dr allow this?? (I know some meds can cause cancer and that is why some drs wont do it ) I have sarcoma which their are other immune suppress drugs I can be put on that dont cause a recur of that ..My dr said they wont take a kidney from healthy person to put in me since I have cancer because I can die then the person is out a kidney ..argghhh I have seen 3 people in my life who were extremely ill had kidney transplants and 2 of them died from other problems rather than kidney but their procedure wasnt questioned and i am healthier then them but happen to have cancer..
just curious
Title: Re: Cancer and Transplant
Post by: spacezombie on May 03, 2008, 05:15:29 PM
If I were you, I'd start contacting a ton of transplant units at all different hospitals and seeing if they would be willing to perform the transplant or if you can get put on a clinical trial or something. Don't give up hope!
Title: Re: Cancer and Transplant
Post by: stauffenberg on May 03, 2008, 06:53:16 PM
All medicines taken for a transplant do the same thing -- suppress the immune system.  But the immune system is what fights off cancers, keeping them from developing in the first place and growing out of control if they gain a foothold.  So any drug regimen that would prevent your immune system from recognizing your new kidney as foreign tissue and attacking it would also  prevent your immune system from recognizing a recurrence of the original cancer as foreign tissue and attacking it.  For this reason it would be extremely dangerous to take immunosuppressive drugs before it was clear that you were completely over any trace of cancer and your body had retreated from its disposition to express cancerous tumors.

There is a whole table of the standard waiting times required between treating each type of cancer successfully before a transplant with the attendant immunosuppression can be considered.  The wait usually varies between 2 and 5 years.
Title: Re: Cancer and Transplant
Post by: 7piglets on May 05, 2008, 12:21:32 AM
My kind of cancer never goes away..It may be dormant but is always there .When I went for eval for kidney transplant they said their is some drugs that I can take that will not cause the cancer to return or cause problems.
I dont know they whole reason or even the type of meds he was talking about ..I have been given so many different stories from different drs that I dont know who to trust anymore..I am starting to think no one really knows and my case is just too difficult for them !!