CAR T in Australia

Side effects of CAR T

What are the potential side effects of CAR T?

CAR T therapy, like all other medicines, has some side effects. Everyone’s experience is different – some people won’t experience these side effects, for some people they will be mild and for some people they may be severe.

CAR T therapy is given as an inpatient procedure in hospital, to manage some of the side effects of CAR T. Hospitals where CAR T is given are specially set up for patients receiving this type of treatment, and specialised healthcare teams are well trained to manage the side effects of CAR T therapy.¹

Two of the common serious side effects of CAR T therapy are side effects associated with the brain, spinal cord and nerves (called neurological side effects) and something called cytokine release syndrome, or CRS. The healthcare team monitors patients closely to spot any of the symptoms associated with these.^1,2

CRS is when the immune system responds to treatment more aggressively than it should. This can cause side effects like fever, dizziness and breathlessness. There is treatment available that can help manage CRS.²

CAR T therapy can sometimes cause problems to the brain. This can result in side effects like headaches, altered consciousness, becoming confused or disorientated, speech changes, or seizures.²

There are other side effects of CAR T therapy, as well as side effects associated with the chemotherapy and other medicine given in the lead up to the CAR T therapy.¹

References: 1.Lymphoma Australia. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy Fact Sheet. Available at: https://www.lymphoma.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_CARTT_Snapshot_FAweb.pdf. Accessed February 2023. 2.Cancer Research UK. CAR T-cell therapy. Available at https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/immunotherapy/types/CAR-T-cell-therapy. Accessed November 2022.

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