Our subspecialists offer the most advanced care in the region for blood cancers in adults. We deliver personalized treatments backed by the latest research to offer hope in overcoming your disease.
To schedule an appointment, please call the Blood Cancer & Cellular Therapy team at 513-585-UCCC.
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell Therapy
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a promising new way to get immune cells called T-cells, a type of white blood cell, to fight cancer by changing them in the lab so they can find and destroy cancer cells.
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Answers to Your (CAR) T-cell Therapy Questions
The patient's own T-cells are used to make the CAR T-cells. The T-cells used in CAR T-cell therapies get changed in the lab by adding a man-made receptor (called a chimeric antigen receptor or CAR). This helps them better identify specific cancer cell antigens. Since different cancers have different antigens, each CAR is made for a specific cancer's antigen. For example, certain kinds of leukemia or lymphoma will have an antigen on the outside of the cancer cells called CD-19. The CAR T-cell therapies to treat those cancers are made to connect to the CD-19 antigen and will not work for a cancer that does not have the CD-19 antigen.
One of the major advantages of CAR T-cell therapy is the short treatment time needed – administered with a single infusion. While inpatient care is needed to monitor for side effects, patients are often able to return home within two weeks. Car T cells have become a powerful tool in the fight against blood cancer. Clinical trials have shown that even in patients whose cancer came back after multiple treatments, Car T cell therapy helped them achieve remission. Others can live longer without their cancer getting worse, and in some cases can then benefit from curative cancer treatment such as stem cell transplantation.
CAR T-cell therapy may be an option if your first and second-line treatments have failed to eliminate your cancer, or if your cancer has returned after these treatments.
CAR T-cell therapy is FDA approved for some kinds of lymphomas and for certain patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia not responding to other treatments. Many clinical trials are underway with the hope of using this strategy to treat other cancers.
Why UC Health
Experience and Expertise
Certified Center
We are certified as a designated center for CAR T-cell therapy by Gilead Pharmaceuticals.
High-Quality Treatment
We are the region’s only adult academic FACT Accredited Blood and Marrow Transplant Center for both autologous and allogeneic transplant, which is the gold-standard for quality of care in transplant programs.
Leading-Edge Care
We deliver the most advanced cancer care available for adults in Greater Cincinnati through our expert teams, pioneering research and a spirit of collaboration.
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Referring Physicians
We are committed to providing optimal care to patients by collaborating with healthcare professionals throughout our community and provide several avenues for patient referrals and easy access for referring physicians and clinicians to consult with UC Health specialists.
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At UC Health, we lead the region in scientific discoveries and embrace a spirit of purpose – offering our patients and their families something beyond everyday healthcare. At UC Health, we offer hope.