Director: We do as many tests as we can...in the time we have available
The surgeon coordinating Britain’s transplants yesterday insisted every possible test was done on donor’s organs. But Professor John Forsythe said the need for organs to be transplanted quickly limits what can be done.
The medical director for Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) described the procedures in place to safeguard transplant patients after a patient in Newcastle died after being given a liver infected with cancer. A kidney from the same donor given to Pauline Hunt in Glasgow was removed but too late to stop her also contracting the aggressive cancer.
Professor Forsythe, an honorary professor at Edinburgh University and consultant transplant surgeon at the city’s Royal Infirmary, said potential organ donors are subjected to a series of tests before any transplants are carried out.
These include blood tests, scans, X-rays, a physical examination of the organs and an examination of medical records.
When there is a suspicion but unconfirmed diagnosis of a cancer or significant infection, this concern must be passed to the surgeons transplanting the organ. It is then up to the recipient surgeon to decide whether to go ahead. All organs carry some degree of risk, but this must be balanced against the risk of rejecting that organ and waiting for another to become available.
Professor Forsythe said: “Donation and transplantation has to take place quickly and usually follows an unexpected death. In very rare cases it is possible that the donor has a very small tumour which cannot picked up by the tests which can be performed in the limited time available prior to transplant.
“This means the transmission of an undiagnosed cancer is a known risk, although it is very rare. Our research found the risk of transmission of a previously undiagnosed cancer from a donor to a recipient is less than one in 2,000 organs.
“Organ transplants have saved tens of thousands of lives and they depend on the generosity and bravery of families donating a relative’s organs. We urge people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register and tell their families they want to donate.”
Research published in 2014 found only 1.1% of donors had some history of cancer. NHSBT says the decision to use organs from such donors must be made following an assessment of the risks. There is a shortage of donated organs and some seriously ill patients are not able to wait.