How Common is Cancer in Organ Transplant Recipients?

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As an organ transplant recipient, you already “know” several things:

-You know what the anxiety and stress of end-stage organ disease feels like
-You know that your life has been improved after receiving your transplant
-You know that by taking care of your transplant, you can reduce the risk of rejection of the organ

Did you also know that the important immunosuppressants (anti-rejection medications) you take to prevent your body from rejecting your transplanted kidney, heart, lung, or liver may increase your risk of developing certain types of
cancer?1 Read the full story on CareDx.com here.

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Inflammation after kidney transplantation correlates with increased mortality

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In the early phase following a kidney transplantation, inflammation is associated with increased long-term all-cause mortality, according to data published in the American Journal of Transplantation.

Further, no general inflammatory pathway stood out as a main cause of mortality, which researchers noted suggests general inflammation is more important. Read more in Healio.

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Turning Tragedy into Connection, a Donor Family Bonds with a Transplant Recipient

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When Sara Miller was 12, her sister, Laura, was diagnosed with brain cancer and died within days at a hospital in Milwaukee. Shocked and reeling, Sara’s family was asked by the hospital’s organ procurement coordinator if they wanted to donate Laura’s organs.

The Miller family had never discussed organ donation before, but Sara felt certain that Laura, a high school freshman, would have wanted to help save a life. “I grasped onto the idea that she could potentially make a difference,” says Sara, who encouraged her parents to say yes, which they did. “It was a tiny glimmer of hope amid a terrible day.”
Read the full story on CareDx.com here.

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Could an Artificial, Wearable Kidney Technology Revolutionize Traditional Dialysis?

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Researchers at the Center for Dialysis Innovation are working to change the way kidney disease is managed

On March 15th, Glenda Roberts, Director of External Relations and Patient Engagement at the Center for Dialysis Innovation (“CDI”) and the Kidney Research Institute at the University of Washington spoke on our webinar, Innovations in Kidney Care. Glenda shared CDI’s work developing an artificial, wearable kidney – a potential alternative to traditional dialysis. This article has been adapted from her presentation. Note that the “AKTIV” is still experimental and has not been fully tested or approved. Read more on CareDx.com.

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Cardiac transport system linked to better outcomes after heart transplantation

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A cardiac transport system for donor hearts was associated with better 1-year outcomes for recipients compared with traditional cold storage, according to new data from the GUARDIAN registry.

The analysis, presented at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, compared survival and other postoperative outcomes in heart transplant recipients who received a heart delivered with the cardiac transport system (SherpaPak cardiac transport system, Paragonix Technologies) with those whose hearts were delivered in traditional cold storage. Read more in Healio.

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Steps to Keep Your Transplanted Kidney

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  1. Schedule regular healthcare visits
  2. Take all your medications every day and at the same time as instructed
  3. Discuss any medication concerns or side effects with your transplant team
  4. Eat healthy
  5. Get regular exercise
  6. Keep a healthy weight
  7. Ask how you can lower your chances for high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, or infection Become an active member of your healthcare team
    Read the full article from National Kidney Foundation here.
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Husband Donates Kidney So His Wife Can Receive One

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When a local TV weatherman did a live broadcast from Hanley Elementary 25 years ago, he met a teacher who stole his heart.

On Tuesday, Nov.23, 20 years after they were married, he also gave her his kidney.

“I believe God brought us together for this moment in time,” Chip Washington, 64, said as he and his wife, Wanda, 62, prepared for their surgeries. Read the full story in The Institute here.

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Incompatible Blood Types and Paired Exchange Programs

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What blood types “match”?

Blood typing is the first blood test that will determine if your blood is compatible with the potential donor’s blood. If the donor’s blood type works with your blood type, the donor will take the next blood test (tissue typing).

Kidney donors must have a compatible blood type with the recipient. The Rh factor (+ or -) of blood does not matter in a transplant. Read more from the National Kidney Foundation.

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COVID-19 vaccines appear less effective among patients with antibody deficiencies

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Patients with antibody deficiencies demonstrated reduced immunogenicity following vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to a study published in Journal of Clinical Immunology.

These findings demonstrate the ongoing risk that the virus presents these patients, Adrian M. Shields, MBBS, MRCP, PhD, clinical lecturer at University of Birmingham Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy in the United Kingdom, and colleagues wrote.
Read more in Healio.

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COVID-19 and kidney disease: insights from epidemiology to inform clinical practice

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Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous studies have aimed to address the challenges faced by patients with kidney disease and their caregivers. These studies addressed areas of concern such as the high infection and mortality risk of patients on in-centre haemodialysis and transplant recipients. However, the ability to draw meaningful conclusions from these studies has in some instances been challenging, owing to barriers in aspects of usual care, data limitations and problematic methodological practices.
Read more in Nature here.

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