Administering radiation therapy to multiple myeloma patients prior to the administration of CAR T cells was found to be safe and undisruptive to CAR T therapy, according to a new study from researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. The data was presented at presented during the virtual American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting, on Tuesday, October 27 (Abstract #35562).
The study titled “Is Bridging Radiation (RT) Safe with B Cell Maturation Antigen–targeting Chimeric Antigenic Receptor T Cells (CART-BCMA) Therapy?” was presented by lead author Shwetha Manjunath, MD, a resident in Radiation Oncology in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine.
The study looked at 25 patients across three cohorts: 1) 13 subjects who received no RT within 1 year prior to CART infusion , 2) 8 subjects who received RT within 1 year prior to CART, and 3) 4 subjects received bridging RT (between apheresis and CART infusion.
The study found patients who received radiation 34 days or fewer before their infusion with CART-BCMA (B cell maturation antigen) cells did not have worse rates of severe cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or neurotoxicity, two common side effects of the cellular therapy, and hematologic toxicities than patients who did not have so-called bridging care.
Radiation therapy before CART-BCMA infusion is safe and doesn’t interfere with cellular therapy.
The authors concluded that bridging RT is safe and feasible without worsening rates of severe CRS, neurotoxicity, or hematologic toxicity.
Reference:
Manjunath SH et al. Is Bridging Radiation (RT) Safe with B Cell Maturation Antigen–targeting Chimeric Antigenic Receptor T Cells (CART-BCMA) Therapy? International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics Vol. 108, Issue 3, Supplement , S165-S166, November 01,2020