Car T Cell Therapy Lymphoma Side Effects

Once they enter the body car t cells initiate a massive release of proteins called cytokines which summon other elements of the immune system to join the attack on tumor cells.

Car t cell therapy lymphoma side effects.

What are the side effects of car t cell therapy in lymphoma patients. The possible side effects that your doctor will discuss with you include. As the car t cells work to fight cancer they cause the release of large amounts of other t cells into the blood along with cytokines which are proteins released by cells that communicate to other cells that there s a job to be done. Some side effects can be severe or fatal.

Neurologic events can also be experienced and can be serious in some patients. While the therapy can lead to long lasting remissions for some patients with very advanced cancer it can also cause neurologic side effects such as speech problems tremors delirium and seizures. Cytokine release syndrome crs you may have heard of the cytokine storm in 2018 when many people got seriously ill during flu season. The most common side effects seen are.

Low white blood. Cytokine release syndrome fever and chills low blood pressure and low oxygen levels nervous system problems which might include brain problems encephalopathy headache twitching or shaking tremor. Car t cell therapy side effects. The modified cells are returned to the patient s body a process that takes less than 10 minutes.

Car t cell therapy involves extracting a cancer patient s white blood cells and reprogramming the t cells the roving warriors of the immune system with an antibody like protein called chimeric antigen receptor or car. Neurologic events include encephalopathy. Serious side effects of this release can include very high fevers and dangerously low blood pressure in the days after treatment is given. The resulting onslaught can produce dangerously high fevers extreme fatigue difficulty breathing and a sharp drop in blood pressure.

Some people have had serious side effects from this treatment especially as the car t cells multiply in the body to fight the cancer. Cytokine release syndrome which is similar to flu like symptoms headache.