Soldier dies after receiving cancerous lung transplant

British soldier, Matthew Millington, 31, died at home in Brown Lees, England after receiving lungs from a donor who was known to have smoked between 30 and 50 cigarettes per day.

Corporal Millington joined the British army when he was just 16 and worked his way up to corporal in the Queen's Royal Lancers, reports the Telegraph. He became sick with a lung illness in 2005 while serving in Iraq, and was told that he would have only 2 years to live if something wasn't done. He received a double lung transplant in April, 2007 but died of lung cancer ten months later. The cancer's growth was accelerated by the immuno-suppressive drugs Mr Millington was taking to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ. After Millington's death an investigation into the procedures carried out by Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, Britain's leading heart and lung transplant centre revealed a host of problems at the hospital that included issues with communication, record-keeping and patient handover, reported the Sentinel. In Milligan's case it came down to a radiographer failing to highlight the growth of a cancerous tumour. At the inquest, clinical director of transplant services, Dr Steven Tsui, told North Staffordshire Coroner's Court there had been problems. Tsui said, "There were a number of failures. I didn't feel the team performed to the standard I would expect," reported the Telegraph. The hospital now has new procedures in place. Matthew Millington died on February 8, 2008 leaving behind his wife Siobhan.