Dr. Phillips on the Future of CAR T-Cell Therapy in MCL

Tycel Jovelle Phillips, MD, clinical associate professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rogel Cancer Center, Michigan Medicine, discusses the future of CAR T-cell therapy in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients.

Based on published data, CAR T-cell therapy appears to be agnostic to some of the high-risk features that distinguish frontline treatment outcomes in patients with MCL, Phillips says. As such, this modality may have clinical utility as up-front treatment to improve outcomes in patients with high-risk disease, Phillips explains. However, developing improved toxicity management, particularly with regard to CAR T-cell therapy–related neurotoxicity, is important in MCL, Phillips adds. 

Increased exposure to using CAR T-cell therapy will increase provider comfortability with the modality and improve toxicity-management strategies, Phillips continues. With additional data emerging, FDA approvals of novel CAR T-cell therapies in MCL could be on the horizon to provide more options to patients, Phillips concludes.