Dr. Locke on CAR T-Cell Therapy in NHL

Frederick Locke, MD, a medical oncologist in the Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant, Moffitt Cancer Center, and an assistant professor of oncology at the University of South Florida, discusses the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in patients with non—Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Physicians now have 2 FDA-approved CAR T cell products for the treatment of adult patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas following single-center trials that showed the efficacy of CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy for patients with B-cell malignancies. Subsequent trials have since shown high response rates and durable responses, says Locke.

Transitioning the therapy to real-world care has been very rewarding, explains Locke. Many patients who are eligible for the therapy are able to receive it, says Locke, but early referral is key. It is important to keep this in mind if a patient with aggressive lymphoma progresses on frontline R-CHOP chemotherapy. The logistics take time, notes Locke. It takes up to 4 weeks from the initial consult until the insurance approvals come through and the cells are shipped and returned.