A recent study showed that liver transplantation increases the risk of cancer, especially in children. Researchers led by Helena Isoniemi of Finland found that people who undergo a liver transplant are nearly three times more likely to develop cancerdefine than the general population. 

Researchers studied the data collected from 540 patients who received liver transplants at Aberg's center between 1982 and 2005. Researchers analyzed the cancer risk in the study subjects. 

During follow-up, 36 patients developed a total of 39 cancers. This means a 2.59-fold increased risk as compared to the general population. During the research, one out of every six liver transplant patients developed some form of cancer from 4 months to 14 years after the transplant operation. Researchers found that rates were higher among children younger than 17 years of age than among older patients.

Analysis of data showed that one out of six liver transplant patients is estimated to develop some form of cancer by 20 years after transplantation. This study also showed that non-Hodgkin lymphoma, non-melanoma skin cancer and basal cell carcinoma were more common in liver transplant recipients than in the general population. 

Researchers said: “The most common cancer types in our cohort were lymphoma and skin cancer. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which included four cases of post-transplant lymphoproliverative disorder, occurred more frequently in males, in patients transplanted at a younger age and soon after transplantation.”