Prostate Cancer Transmitted in an Orthotopic Heart Transplant

To the Editor.  —The case report by Dr Loh et al¹ of a donorderived prostate cancer in a heart transplant recipient and the accompanying Editorial² are interesting additions to the literature on this subject. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence following transplantation, but it may also include the transmission not only of malignant neoplasms, but potentially morbid and sometimes lethal infectious agents (ie, hepatitis viruses, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], and cytomegaloviruses).³ Careful predonation evaluation by organ bank personnel, including a detailed social and medical history, thorough physical examination, and a battery of biochemical and serological tests, serves to eliminate those organ donors who might transmit disease.⁴ Thereafter, a proper intraoperative assessment to detect occult disease states must be made in a collaborative way by procurement surgeons to further mitigate the transplantation of poor-quality organs or the transmission of disease.Thus, the article by Loh et al certainly does not