CAR T-cell therapy is a groundbreaking, one-time therapy that uses versions of your own immune cells to find and destroy tough-to-treat blood cancers, such as multiple myeloma and leukemia.
At BMC’s CAR T-cell Therapy Program, we offer the same state-of-the-art CAR T-cell therapies as larger institutions, but with a more personalized approach that takes into account all of your medical needs and life circumstances. Together, our multidisciplinary team of experts is breaking down barriers to cancer treatment and providing all the care you need throughout your journey.
Our program is led by Fabio Petrocca, MD, a world-renowned expert in CAR T-cell therapies. Along with Petrocca, providers from specialties across the hospital have joined the CAR T-cell Therapy Program because they understand the importance of providing equitable access to this life-saving treatment for all patients who may benefit from it.
To refer a patient, please contact car-t@bmc.org.
Frequently Asked Questions About CAR T-cell Therapy
CAR T-cell therapy is a type of cancer treatment called immunotherapy that uses your body’s own immune system to help fight cancer. CAR T-cell therapy is most often used after other types of cancer treatment have not worked, or if your cancer has come back after treatment. It is a one-time treatment that takes about two to three months to complete.
CAR T-cell therapy is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat multiple myeloma and certain types of leukemia and lymphoma. Experts hope that in the future, CAR T-cell therapies will be approved to treat other types of cancers.
T cells are a type of white blood cell. They work in your body to help fight infection. In CAR T-cell therapy, some of your T cells are removed from your blood and modified in a lab to help them target cancer cells. Then they are returned to your body to help fight cancer.
The process is:
- Doctors collect some T cells from your blood through a process called leukapheresis. It is done as an outpatient procedure in the clinic and takes a few hours.
- Your T-cells are sent to a lab, and a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that fights your specific type of cancer is added to them. This turns your T cells into CAR T cells. This process takes a few weeks.
- The lab will send the T cells back to BMC. You’ll then get an infusion that contains the CAR T cells. A few days before the infusion, you may receive chemotherapy to help the CAR T cells fight the cancer.
- After the infusion, you will stay in the hospital for at least a week so that your doctor can watch for side effects.
This process can take up to six weeks.
Your team will continue to monitor your health for several weeks after you go home.
BMC offers all types of FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapy, including for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma, and relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma after other treatments have failed. These treatments are:
- Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel)
- Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel)
- Tecartus (brexucabtagene autoleucel)
- Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel)
- Abecma (idecabtagene vicleucel)
We also offer Carvykti (ciltacabtagene autoleucel), the only B-cell maturation antigent (BCMA) targeted therapy for multiple myeloma. This treatment, which was approved by the FDA in June 2024, can be used by eligible adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have had at least one prior type of treatment.
CAR T-cell therapy is a powerful cancer treatment that can cause side effects. In some cases, the side effects can be severe. Your healthcare team will watch you carefully for side effects for several weeks after your treatment.
Side effects may include:
- Cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which can cause a high fever, chills, a fast heartbeat, headaches, trouble breathing, and muscle aches
- Problems with the nervous system, including confusion, loss of balance, shaking (tremors), or seizures
- Low blood counts
- Increased risk of infection
- Allergic reactions
- An increased risk of bleeding
Arminta's Story
Arminta Graham is quick to tell everyone, “CAR T therapy is the best thing that ever happened to me.” But when she was first offered the treatment, she wasn’t sure she wanted it. Soon, she changed her mind and became the first patient at BMC to receive this life-saving therapy.
Conditions We Treat
Multiple Myeloma
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Leukemia
Our Team
The CAR T-cell Therapy Program at BMC brings together the expertise of a wide range of specialists. Led by Dr. Fabio Petrocca, a world-renowned expert in CAR T-cell therapy, our multidisciplinary team provides coordinated care between hematology, critical care, neurology, cardiology, blood bank, laboratory medicine, social work, pharmacy, and emergency medicine.
Explore Departments
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
Español
Tiếng Việt
Kreyol ayisyen
en