Cancer in patients receiving dialysis. Issue 6229 (14th June 1980)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kinlen, L J; Eastwood, J B; Kerr, D N; Moorhead, J F; Oliver, D O; Robinson, B H; de Wardener, H E; Wing, A J
• Is Part Of: BMJ. Volume 280:Issue 6229(1980)
• Page Start: 1401
• Page End: 1403
• Publication Date: 1980-06-14
• Subjects: Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine; Periodicals; 610
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.280.6229.1401
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1447

Abstract

Abstract : The incidence of cancer and related mortality was studied in 1651 patients from six dialysis centres in England over 10 years. The only type of cancer for which there was a significant excess was non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (four cases observed against an expected incidence of 0.15 (p < 0.001); three deaths against an expected 0.1 (p < 0.001)). This excess could not be attributed to either subsequent transplantation or treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. Since immunodepression is a feature of chronic renal failure, these observations together with those on patints treated with immunosuppressive drugs suggest that immunosuppression favours the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Studies in which it is concluded that patients receiving dialysis show an excess of other types of cancer have certain shortcomings; the unusual opportunities for detecting cancer in such patients may account for some of the reported excess.