Dr. Sehgal on the Clinical Implications of CAR T-Cell Therapy in DLBCL

Alison R. Sehgal, MD, assistant professor of medicine, hematologist/medical oncologist, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, discusses the clinical implications of CAR T-cell therapy in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

The approvals of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel; Yescarta) and tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) have altered the paradigms of relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma and relapsed/refractory DLBCL, respectively. Specifically, these agents have changed the way treatment is approached for patients with DLBCL, says Sehgal. This is particularly true for patients who relapse after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), have resistant disease, and those who can’t achieve a remission to even proceed with ASCT, she adds.

Instead of looking to palliative care when patients relapse, patients who are fit enough may instead be able to receive CAR T-cell therapy. Currently, CAR T-cell therapy is not curative, although the goal is to achieve a curative approach, says Sehgal. Therefore, the field is focused on bringing intensive therapy that could lead to long-term remission to patients.