Dr. Sasine on Determining Outlook With CAR T-Cell Therapy in Hematologic Cancers

Joshua P. Sasine, MD, PhD, clinical instructor of medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, discusses how to determine if a patient will have a response to CAR T-cell therapy.

Currently, it is difficult to determine who is going to benefit the most from CAR T-cell therapy, according to Sasine. However, researchers are getting closer to that because there are certain cytokine profiles now known, both before and after CAR T cells are given, that are associated with long-term, durable remissions, explains Sasine.

Lymphodepletion can also be a signal to determine response to CAR T cell therapy. This is something that can be modified within a physician's control, whereas other aspects are unmodifiable but can be helpful for predicting response.