Swedish Transplant Patient Develops Cancer from Donor Organ: 'Should Not Happen'

Rayen Rodriguez, a patient who underwent a life-saving liver transplant in Sweden, is now battling cancer that was transmitted directly from the donor organ, an event described as exceptionally rare. Rodriguez, who suffers from a genetic condition causing cysts in her kidneys and liver, had her original liver, weighing 6 kilograms, replaced. The new organ offered hope for a healthier life, but this hope was tragically cut short.

While cancer is a known risk following organ transplantation, primarily due to the use of immunosuppressant drugs that can accelerate cancer growth, the direct transmission from a donor is statistically infrequent. International studies suggest this happens in only about 3 to 6 cases per 10,000 transplant recipients, according to Scandiatransplant. Rodriguez's doctors at Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge told her that what happened to her "almost never happens."

Rodriguez began experiencing symptoms such as blood in her urine and severe fatigue. Initially, medical staff suspected issues with cysts on her kidneys. However, an X-ray revealed an abnormal white shadow in the transplanted liver. After extensive examinations, it was confirmed that she had cancer in the donated liver. The cancer cells were identified as metastases from breast cancer, although doctors could not locate a primary tumor in her breasts. "At that moment, I was a wreck. That was too much," Rodriguez stated, describing the devastating impact of the diagnosis.

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Från sina läkare på Karolinska universitetssjukhuset i Huddinge har Rayen Rodriguez fått höra att det som har drabbat henne i princip ”aldrig händer”.