What to Consider Before CAR T-cell Therapy

Before moving forward with CAR-T therapy, you and your health care team will need to consider many different factors. These include:

• Your treatment history: how many lines of therapy you’ve had and whether a therapy has stopped working to treat myeloma (refractory).
• Physical health. Your doctor will measure this using a scale called the ECOG Performance Status Scale. Most centers accept patients with a performance status of ECOG 0 to 2 for CAR-T:
  • ECOG 0: Fully active.
  • ECOG 1: Limited in physically strenuous activity, but can do light house or office work.
  • ECOG 2: Able to walk and do selfcare, but cannot do work activities. Must be up and about more than half the time when awake.
• Support system: you’ll need a caregiver and access to a CAR‑T center for cell collection, infusion, and follow‑up. If you don't have a caregiver, learn your options around this here: What If I Don’t Have a Caregiver for CAR T-Cell Therapy?
• Impact of wait time: manufacturing can take weeks; rapid disease progression may limit eligibility unless bridging treatment is arranged early.