CAR T-Cell Therapy for Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy represents an exciting innovation in the treatment of cancer. With the approval of two revolutionary anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapies (axicabtagene ciloleucel [Yescarta] and tisagenlecleucel [Kymriah]) for relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma, health-care providers must consider how to prepare for the future of cancer care. While these therapies have been shown to provide clinical benefit to many patients, they are associated with a range of adverse events (AEs) that will need to be identified, assessed, and managed. Widespread education of health-care providers, patients, and caregivers will also be essential to ensure the success of this novel treatment. This supplement aims to provide practical information to the advanced practitioner on a number of considerations relating to the implementation and expansion of CAR T-cell therapy, including CAR T-cell biology and mechanism of action, how to identify, grade, and manage treatment-related AEs, as well as best practices for educating patients and caregivers about this type of therapy.