Best Practices for Referring Patients for CAR T Therapy
Panelists discuss the growing importance of early integration and collaboration between community oncologists and specialized centers in the evolving chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy landscape for multiple myeloma, emphasizing timely referrals, coordinated care, and strategic sequencing with other immunotherapies to optimize patient outcomes.
EP: 1.Late-Line R/R: Treatment Landscape
EP: 2.Outcomes and Factors for Consideration When Choosing Between CAR T Therapies
EP: 3.Comparing CAR T Safety, Efficacy in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma
EP: 4.Role of Talquetamab as Bridging Therapy for CAR T-Cell Therapy
EP: 5.Optimal Sequencing Strategies for CAR T and Bispecifics in R/R MM
EP: 6.Role of CAR T in Earlier Lines for R/R MM
EP: 7.Non-ICANS and Delayed Neurotoxicity With CAR T: Risk Factors and Ways to Prevent
EP: 8.Real-World Data of SOC Cilta-Cel in R/R MM and Cilta-Cel in Patients With High-Risk Features
EP: 9.Identifying and Treating Patients With Adverse Prognostic Factors
EP: 10.Supportive Care: Infection Disease Prophylaxis and Advice for Community Doctors
EP: 11.Best Practices for Referring Patients for CAR T Therapy
As CAR T-cell therapy continues to evolve, it’s becoming clear that early integration into the myeloma treatment landscape will be essential. With growing experience, toxicities are being better managed, and the therapy is becoming more accessible. Community oncologists will increasingly encounter patients either undergoing or returning from CAR T treatment, making strong collaboration with specialized centers vital. Early referrals are crucial—not just for eligibility assessment but also to prepare patients and optimize access to this potentially transformative therapy before multiple relapses complicate their course.
The promise of CAR T lies not only in its deep responses but also in the durability of those responses, with emerging long-term data sparking discussions around functional cures in a subset of patients. Yet, CAR T isn’t a stand-alone solution; it will often be used in sequence with bispecifics and other immunotherapies. The key is not to choose one over the other but to work toward selecting the right therapy at the right time. Community clinicians, by collaborating with myeloma specialists, play a critical role in ensuring patients are considered for advanced treatments early and receive individualized, up-to-date care.
As the treatment landscape becomes more complex and fast moving, community providers don’t need to have all the answers—but they do need strong connections with academic centers. Even though myeloma remains a rare disease, the pace of change is rapid, and guidance from specialized teams is invaluable. By working together—academic and community providers alike—we can ensure each patient receives the most effective and timely therapy, grounded in current evidence and tailored to their specific clinical needs.
