One-year survival rates for organ transplant recipients have improved in all categories, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing.

The latest statistics, scheduled for release today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, show the greatest gains in lung transplants. About 68 percent of those who receive transplanted lungs survive at least one year -- nearly a 15 percent increase from the one-year survival rate reported in 1991.

The gains "come from increased experience in lung transplants at centers across the country, technical improvements and overall improvements in patient selection and donor awareness, all leading to better results and outcomes," said Robert S. Higgins, a member of UNOS's thoracic organ transplant committee.