Benefits

A one‑time personalized procedure that may offer a long treatment‑free interval or even a cure in some patients.

Barriers

• Insurance and cost coverage. CAR T-cell therapies are costly. They can cost up to 500,000 US dollars without insurance. Your CAR-T medical center has a special finance team to help make sure your insurance will cover your CAR T-cell therapy. Visit Financial Resources for Lymphoma CAR-T to learn how Medicare and other insurance cover this treatment, along with additional resources to support you in making CAR-T attainable.
• Your health status. There are limitations to who can receive CAR-T based on their health status. However, research has shown that CAR T-cell therapy can be safely given to patients between age 65 and 91 or patients with other health issues. 
• Center-specific policies. Different facilities may require specific blood tests and have variations in age considerations and eligibility requirements.

Side effects and boxed warnings 

• Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a common but treatable side effect that can manifest with fever, low blood pressure, high heart rate, and breathing difficulty.
• Neurotoxicity: People can present confusion, tremors, difficulty finding words, and, in rare cases, can develop seizures.
• Blood count drops: Low white cells, platelets, risk of infection or neutropenic fever.
• Rare risk (< 1%) of a new cancer, such as another lymphoma.

If you plan on talking to your care team about incorporating CAR-T in your plan, after this section, you can review: What to Ask Your Doctor.