Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for relapsed and refractory large B-cell lymphoma

A Canadian perspective

Authors

  • Mahmoud Elsawy, MD, MSc

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58931/cht.2022.1214

Abstract

Comprising approximately 40% of diagnoses, lymphoma is the most common hematological malignancy in Canada, and 80% of lymphoma cases are non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) accounts for approximately 30% of new NHL cases in Canada. First-line treatment with standard of care chemoimmunotherapy consisting of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) results in a cure in approximately 60–70% of patients. Nevertheless, 30–40% of patients will experience relapse of their disease or are refractory to first-line therapy.

Among those patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL (R/R DLBCL), about 10–15% will exhibit primary refractory disease with either stable or progressive disease despite first-line therapy, while 20–25% will experience relapse after an initial response to treatment. Most relapses will occur within 2–3 years following initial treatment. For these patients, the standard approach is salvage chemotherapy followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for those who meet the eligibility criteria and have chemosensitive disease.

Author Biography

Mahmoud Elsawy, MD, MSc

Dr. Mahmoud Elsawy is an Assistant Professor of Hematology and a Hematologist/Transplant Physician, Dalhousie University and Nova Scotia health, Halifax, Canada. He graduated from Cairo University School of Medicine, Egypt in 2007. He finished his Medicine and Hematology/Oncology training at NCI, Cairo University, Egypt. Following this, he was awarded a scholarship to join Fred Hutch/ UW, Seattle between 2013 and 2016 for a postdoctoral fellowship in SCT. He then joined the LBMT Program in Vancouver, BC for a clinical fellowship between 2016 and 2018 before joining the Division of Hematology and Hematologic Oncology at Dalhousie University in 2018. He has special interests in management of myeloid malignancies in older adults and in providing Immune Effector Cell Therapy (IEC) e.g., CAR T-cell therapy. Through collaboration with an interdisciplinary team, Dr. Elsawy and his colleagues in the Division of Hematology and Hematologic Oncology established the first CAR T-cell therapy Program in Atlantic Canada where he currently serves as the Medical Director of Nova Scotia Health IEC (CAR T-cell) Therapy.

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Published

2022-07-01

How to Cite

1.
Elsawy M. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for relapsed and refractory large B-cell lymphoma: A Canadian perspective. Can Hematol Today [Internet]. 2022 Jul. 1 [cited 2024 Apr. 20];1(2):26–33. Available from: https://canadianhematologytoday.com/article/view/1-2-4-elsawy

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