Hyderabad: KIMS Doctors Successfully Treat Cancer in Woman with 17-Year-Old Kidney Transplant

Hyderabad: Doctors at KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad, have successfully treated a rare and life-threatening intestinal cancer in a 42-year-old woman while preserving her 17-year-old transplanted kidney, marking a significant medical achievement through coordinated multidisciplinary care.

The patient, a Hyderabad resident, underwent a kidney transplant in 2009 after receiving a kidney donated by her mother. Since the transplant, she had been on long-term immunosuppressive medication to prevent organ rejection.

In June 2025, she was admitted to KIMS Hospitals with severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting and a weight loss of nearly 15 kilograms over three months. Detailed investigations revealed a high-grade intestinal lymphoma that was causing recurrent bowel obstruction, presenting doctors with a highly complex medical challenge.

Treating cancer in organ transplant recipients is particularly difficult, as chemotherapy suppresses the immune system further, increasing the risk of severe infections, while reducing immunosuppressive medication can trigger rejection of the transplanted organ.

A multidisciplinary team comprising specialists from medical oncology, nephrology, surgery and critical care carefully planned the treatment. The patient underwent chemo-immunotherapy with continuous monitoring, while doctors precisely adjusted chemotherapy and immunosuppressive drug dosages to control the cancer without compromising kidney function.

After three cycles of treatment, the tumour responded remarkably well. However, rapid tumour shrinkage resulted in the development of a fistula between the small and large intestines, leading to severe diarrhoea, malnutrition and further weight loss.

A team led by General and GI Laparoscopic Surgeon Dr. M.B.V. Prasad successfully removed the affected portions of the intestine and reconstructed the bowel. Despite the high surgical risks associated with an immunocompromised patient, the operation was successful, followed by intensive postoperative care.

The patient recovered completely within four weeks and later completed the remaining three cycles of chemo-immunotherapy.

A follow-up whole-body PET scan confirmed complete remission of the cancer, while the transplanted kidney continues to function normally after 17 years.

Dr. Mounika Boppana, Consultant Medical Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, said the case highlights the importance of careful planning and close monitoring in treating cancer among organ transplant recipients.

Nephrologist and Kidney Transplant Specialist Dr. V.S. Reddy said managing cancer in a kidney transplant recipient is one of the most challenging situations in medicine, requiring a delicate balance between protecting the transplanted organ and eliminating the disease.

Doctors at KIMS Hospitals said the case demonstrates how multidisciplinary expertise, advanced medical technology and integrated patient care can deliver successful outcomes even in the most complex clinical cases.

For more details: Munsif daily.com