Dr. Kumar on Patient Considerations for Treatment in Relapsed/Refractory MCL

Anita Kumar, MD, medical oncologist, Regional Care Network Medical Site Director, MSK Basking Ridge, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses patient factors to consider when selecting treatment in relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

At the time of treatment initiation for patients with relapsed/refractory MCL, several patient considerations should be accounted for, including age, overall fitness, and existing comorbidities, Kumar explains. Patient goals with therapies should also be considered, Kumar adds. Some patients prefer to receive well-tolerated therapies to maximize quality of life, whereas others prefer to treat their MCL aggressively with all available options, Kumar says. Moreover, patient preference could determine whether they should be treated in a community setting vs an academic setting, Kumar adds.

Other considerations include whether the patient is eligible for CAR T-cell therapy, autologous stem cell transplant, and allogeneic stem cell transplant, Kumar says. Regarding the latter, donor availability then becomes an additional factor to consider, Kumar concludes.