UniSA researcher and renal specialist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Associate Professor Rob Carroll, says these findings are a game changer for kidney transplant patients with incurable cancer.
“Cancer is a leading cause of death in kidney transplant recipients with the rate of cancer being three-times higher in this group, than in the general population,” Carroll says.
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“The terrible irony is that the immunosuppressants that patients must always take to stop their immune systems attacking their transplants, are also the medicines that stops the immune system getting rid of pre-cancer cells,” he said. “To correct this imbalance, our study tested the efficacy of maintaining baseline anti-rejection drugs (to protect the transplant) and adding immune checkpoint inhibitors (to attack the cancer).”
“The patients responded well with lower rates of organ rejection to 12 percent, compared to previous reports and eliminating cancers cells in 25 percent of patients.”
“It’s a massive advancement for kidney transplant patients; a whole new lease on life.”
The study assessed 22 patients with a renal transplant and incurable locally advanced or metastatic cancer that had progressed despite first-line standard anti-tumor treatment. They kept their standard anti-rejection drugs unchanged and were treated with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab.
Source: Eurekalert
