A few weeks afterreceiving chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, many patientsexperience prolonged reductions in blood cell counts, possibly making them morevulnerable to infections.

Two recent studies characterized the extent and duration of postCAR-T cytopenia among patients receiving CAR-T therapy for hematological malignancies with 1 study offering insights on some of the possible factors that may influence hematological count recovery.

Whats important to know is that by day 90, mostpatients recover, noted UroosaIbrahim, MD, stemcell transplantation and cellular therapy fellow at the Tisch Cancer Instituteof the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York, who coauthored 1 of the studies. Were supporting them for [approximately]3 months [with treatment], but then theyll recover, which is good to know.

One study by MemorialSloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) researchers followed 83 adult patientswho received CAR-T therapy: 40 patients received 1 of 2 Food and DrugAdministration (FDA)-approved therapies, axicabtageneciloleucel (axi-cel; Yescarta) ortisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel; Kymriah), to treat relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma.

The remainder comprised 37 patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia who were currently enrolled in a clinical trial in which they received an experimental CAR-T therapy where cells express the 19-28z CAR construct (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01044069), and 6 multiple myeloma patients who received a different experimental CAR-T construct that targets the B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03070327). The findings were presented at the annual Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASCT and CIBMTR in February 2020.1

By 1 month, theresearchers observed that 24% of patients experienced a complete recovery ofhemoglobin, platelets, absolute neutrophil count, and white blood cell counts recovery being defined as reaching safe levels, and without requiringtransfusions or treatment with growth factors.

Recovery of hemoglobinwas noted in 61% of patients, platelets in 51% of patients, absolute neutrophilcount in 33% of patients, and white blood cell count in 28% of patients.Examining 41 patients at 3 months, those figures were 93%, 90%, 81%, and 59%,respectively, and overall, 56% saw a complete blood count recovery.

The results werebroadly consistent with recent research by Dr Ibrahim and Keren Osman, MD,associate professor and director of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine atMount Sinai and director of cellular therapy service in the bone marrow andstem cell transplantation program at the schools Tisch Cancer Institute. Thatstudy comprised 50 patients 41 with multiple myeloma and 9 with diffuse largeB-cell lymphoma who received either axicabtagene ciloleucel, or 1 of 2 experimentalanti-BCMA CAR-T therapies, bb2121 or bb21217.

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What Factors Influence Hematological Recovery in Patients Who Receive CAR-T Therapies? - Cancer Therapy Advisor