Transplant lungs gave soldier cancer

A SOLDIER died after being given a pair of cancerous lungs in a hospital transplant operation.

Matthew Millington, pictured, died at his home in Brown Lees, Biddulph, after receiving the organs of a donor who is believed to have smoked between 30 and 50 roll-up cigarettes a day.

Experts from Papworth Hospital, in Cambridge, the country's main heart and lung transplant centre, yesterday told an inquest into the 31-year-old's death that, as a cancer patient, he would not then have been able to have a further pair of lungs.

An internal probe in the wake of the operation pinpointed a string of problems at the hospital, including issues with communication, record-keeping and patient handover.

And in Mr Millington's case it was recognised that a radiogist had failed to highlight the growth of a cancerous tumour.

Dr Steven Tsui, clinical director of transplant services, who was not involved in the procedure, told North Staffordshire Coroner's Court: "In this case there were a number of failures and I did not feel the team performed to the standard I would expect."

The hospital now has new systems in place.

Mr Millington was serving in Iraq with the Queen's Royal Lancers at Christmas 2005 when he was diagnosed with a lung illness.

He was subsequently given two years to live unless action was taken. He received a double lung transplant in April 2007.

But he died 10 months later as a result of damage caused by disseminated lung cancer.

A lack of communication between radiographers and consultants meant it was not until October 2007 that a tumour, which had grown from 8-9mm to 13mm between June and August 2007 was detected.

Its growth was accelerated by the immuno-suppressive drugs Mr Millington was taking to prevent his body rejecting the transplanted organ.

North Staffordshire coroner Ian Smith discounted a verdict of misadventure or neglect, recording Mr Millington had died from "complications of transplant surgery and immuno-suppressive drug treatment".

The coroner told the court: "This is the result the family wanted and at least these days there is more transparency about the way things are conducted and we are away from the old days where things would be hushed up."