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Organ transplants found to double cancer risks

11/08/11

According to new research by the U.S. National Cancer Institute, cancer risk may double after receiving an organ transplant.

The new study suggested having an organ transplant can increase the chances of being diagnosed with 32 types of cancer.

Despite the new research numbers, experts said that the necessity of a transplant far outweighs the risk of being diagnosed with cancer.

"People need to understand that transplantation is one of the great success stories of medicine," explained the study's lead author, Dr. Eric Engels. "It's a very effective treatment for people with severe organ disease."

After receiving transplants, patients have to take powerful immune system-suppression medication to prevent the body from rejecting the new organ. The medication, however, also may increase the chances of cancer, Dr. Darla Granger, director of the pancreatic transplantation program at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, told USA Today.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there will be more than 500,000 deaths from cancer in the United States in 2011, which shows the importance of securing some form of life insurance.

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