Garvin on the Benefits of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Kelly Garvin, MA, BSN, RN, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the impact of CAR T-cell therapy on the treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Currently, 5 FDA-approved CAR T-cell products are available for patients with certain hematologic malignancies, with even more indications expected in the future, Garvin says. For most patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, treatment with immunotherapy and the chemotherapy regimen comprised of rituximab (Rituxan), cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone can be curative; however, outcomes remain poor for those who do not respond to this approach, according to Garvin.

Currently, ongoing trials are examining CAR T-cell therapy vs standard of care in this patient population, to see whether the former modality can yield better outcomes, Garvin notes. If patients with poor prognostic factors can be identified early enough to utilize CAR T-cell therapy, outcomes could potentially be improved, Garvin concludes.