Edited by Nicholas R. Banner, Julia M. Polak, and Magdi H. Yacoub. 412 pp., illustrated. New York, Cambridge University Press, 2003. $160. ISBN 0-521-65111-5.
Lung transplantation has assumed an important role in the therapeuticapproach to selected patients with advanced lung disease, butthe procedure remains plagued by numerous problems that limitits widespread applicability and constrain its outcomes. Increasingly,the supply of suitable donor organs is insufficient to meetcurrent demands. Immunosuppressive therapy is associated withmyriad risks, most notably infection, renal failure, and malignantdisorders. Despite current immunosuppressive strategies, rejectionof allografts is common and frequently leads to irreversibleorgan dysfunction. As a consequence of these problems, lungtransplantation remains limited in its ability to appreciablyextend life; median survival is only . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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