In CAR T-cell cancer treatment, your blood is collected through a process called apheresis, sometimes called leukapheresis. This process separates your T-cells from the rest of your blood. The T-cells are then sent to a lab where they are engineered to attack B-cell lymphoma cells. The engineered T-cells are then multiplied and sent back to the hospital. Back in the hospital, the cells are reintroduced to your body through an IV infusion.
CAR T-cell therapy is a complex treatment that can cause severe side effects. Because of this, it is only given during a stay in the hospital. You will be carefully monitored by your treatment team for any side effects of CAR T-cell therapy. You will also be told about side effects and how to best care for yourself after you leave the hospital.
In CAR T-cell cancer treatment, a patient's own cells are modified in the lab to attack cancer cells in the blood. Once blood is removed from a patient, T-cells gain a special chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), which can bind to a protein on the cancer cells. Multiplied in the lab, the CAR T-cells are then reintroduced to the patient via blood infusion to attack cancerous cells.
Mass General Cancer Center is an authorized treatment center for FDA approved CAR T-cell therapies for adult patients with lymphoma (Breyanzi, Kymriah, Tecartus and Yescarta) and for adult patients with multiple myeloma (Abecma).
CAR T-cell therapy for lymphoma offers a treatment option for some patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma that has not responded to other therapies. CAR T-cell therapy has a targeted purpose and is designed for specific lymphoma, including large B-cell lymphoma, high-grade B-cell lymphoma, mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma. CAR T-cell treatment options for lymphoma include:
Breyanzi is FDA approved for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified (including DLBCL arising from indolent lymphoma), high-grade B-cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma grade 3B.
Kymriah is FDA approved for adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, high grade B-cell lymphoma and DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma.
Tecartus is FDA approved for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (r/r MCL).
Yescarta is FDA approved for adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL), high-grade B-cell lymphoma, and DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma (transformed follicular lymphoma). Patients must have received two or more other forms of cancer treatment which did not successfully treat their cancer.
Yescarta is also FDA approved for adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy.
View Cellular Therapy clinical trials.
View Lymphoma clinical trials.
Learn more about Mass General Cancer Center's Lymphoma treatment program.
CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma offers treatment for some patients with multiple myeloma that has not responded to other therapies. CAR T-cell multiple myeloma drugs are designed to attack cancer cells. The therapy is designed specifically to treat relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
Abecma was approved by the FDA in March 2021 for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after four or more prior lines of therapy including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.
View Cellular Therapy clinical trials.
View Multiple Myeloma clinical trials.
Learn more about Mass General Cancer Center's Multiple Myeloma treatment program.
Find updated information on CAR T-Cell immunotherapy for lymphoma and multiple myeloma. For more details, please refer to our brochure.
T-cells are lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell. White blood cells fight infection.
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses the body’s immune system to find and attack cancer cells. CAR T-cell treatment is a type of immunotherapy.
CAR T-cell therapy offers treatment for some patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma that has not responded to other therapies. Each therapy has a targeted purpose and was designed for a specific lymphoma or multiple myeloma.
The FDA approved CAR T-cell therapies offered at Mass General Cancer Center include Breyanzi, Kymriah, Tecartus, Yescarta and Abecma. These therapies provide targeted treatment of B-cell lymphoma, high-grade B-cell lymphoma, mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
T-cells are collected from your blood by apheresis, a process that takes blood from the body and removes one or more blood components such as plasma, platelets or white blood cells. The remaining blood is then returned to the body.
An allergic response when the CAR T-cells are being infused into your blood. Your treatment team will monitor your vital signs and labs closely during your CAR T-cell infusion. You will also be given Tylenol and Benadryl before the CAR T-cell infusion to help stop a reaction.
Your hospital stay may range from one week to one month, or potentially longer. The length of stay depends on your body’s reaction to the CAR T-cell infusion and possible side effects.
You will be very carefully monitored after your infusion for any side effects. Report any of these side effects to your treatment team immediately.
Possible side effects include:
If you experience any of these side effects after you leave the hospital, call your treatment team right away:
Family members are often the first to notice changes in behavior such as trouble remembering or confusion. Family members should report these changes to your treatment team.
CAR T-cell therapy has a verifiable track record of improving outcomes for patients when other treatments have not been successful. As treatment therapies improve, expect a continued success rate. Some studies show that up to 50% of patients treated with CAR T-cell therapies have found lasting remission with no additional treatment.
Your treatment team will talk with you about how to care for yourself when you leave the hospital. They will give you specific information about personal care, mouth care, and hand washing. They can answer any other questions that you may have.
For more information about treatment with CAR T-cell immunotherapy for lymphoma, please refer to our brochure.
View our CAR T-cell immunotherapy for lymphoma brochure.
Learn about our lymphoma treatment program.
Learn about our multiple myeloma treatment program.
View Abecma patient education materials.
View Breyanzi patient education materials.
View Kymriah patient education materials.
View Tecartus patient education materials.
View Yescarta patient education materials.
For more information about CAR T-cell therapies and to arrange a consultation, please contact us.
