CAR T-Cell Therapy Associated Toxicities: Bijal Shah, MD, MS; Michael Wang, MD

This content originally appeared on our sister site, OncLive.

OncLive spoke with Bijal Shah, MD, MS, associate member, Department of Malignant Hematology, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Michael Wang, MD, professor, Department of Lymphoma & Myeloma, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, to learn more about the main CAR T-cell therapy–associated toxicities in hematologic malignancies.

Shah and Wang discussed cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity, which are unique toxicities commonly associated with CAR T-cell therapy in patients with hematologic malignancies. They also discussed infections that can arise with this treatment because CAR T-cell therapy is thought to enhance B-cell aplasia. This compromises cellular immunities and makes patients susceptible to potentially life-threatening infections, Wang explained. It is important to monitor patients with hematologic malignancies who receive CAR T-cell therapy for potential cardiac toxicities as well.

Although the toxicities associated with CAR T-cell therapy are broad, they are routinely seen in real-world clinical practice and require specialized management, Shah and Wang conclude.