Nursing Perspectives on Ensuring Patient Success for CAR T Therapy in R/R MM
Panelists discuss how nursing support for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy success involves providing comprehensive educational materials covering everything from collection to survivorship, conducting virtual CAR T classes, and adapting to new outpatient CAR T protocols where patients receive cells and go home with vital sign monitoring equipment for caregivers. The panelists also celebrate recent FDA regulatory changes that reduced required stay times from 4 weeks to 2 weeks and driving restrictions from 8 weeks to 2 weeks, making CAR T therapy more accessible by allowing patients to return to work and normal life sooner, with reduced financial burden on families.
EP: 1.Overview of Multiple Myeloma
EP: 2.Patient Perspectives: Initial Diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma
EP: 3.Multidisciplinary Approaches in Coordinating Care for CAR T Therapy and Patients With Myeloma
EP: 4.Shared Resources and Patient Education for Multiple Myeloma
EP: 5.R/R Multiple Myeloma: Patient Perspectives and Clinical Guidance Upon Diagnosis
EP: 6.Shared Clinical Decision-Making in CAR T Therapy for R/R MM
EP: 7.Nursing Perspectives on Ensuring Patient Success for CAR T Therapy in R/R MM
EP: 8.Patient Perspectives: Response and Adverse Effects to CAR T in R/R MM
The nursing team provides comprehensive patient education through multiple resources, beginning with the “blue bible”—a thick educational binder covering CAR T therapy from A to Z, including collection procedures, cell processing, nutrition, and survivorship information. This resource is given to patients at their first meeting, with instructions not to read it immediately due to information overload but to review it the following day and contact the team with questions. Additionally, patients participate in virtual CAR T classes (previously held in-person before COVID-19) that provide detailed information about the treatment process, though patients who have previously undergone autologous transplantation may receive condensed education because they’re familiar with similar procedures.
The transition to outpatient CAR T therapy has significantly transformed patient care and education protocols. Patients can now receive their engineered T cells on day zero, undergo chemotherapy in the clinic, and return home for monitoring rather than remaining hospitalized. Home monitoring involves caregivers taking vital signs every 4 hours using provided monitoring materials, with patients returning to the clinic daily for the first 7 days and then following a modified schedule. This approach requires updated educational materials and manuals to address the new outpatient monitoring protocols and home care requirements.
Recent FDA regulatory changes in June have dramatically improved CAR T accessibility and patient quality of life. The previous Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program requirement has been eliminated, the mandatory stay at academic centers has been reduced from 4 weeks to 2 weeks, and the driving restriction has been shortened from 8 weeks to just 2 weeks. These changes particularly benefit patients traveling from distant locations who previously faced 35-day stays away from home, creating financial hardship due to lost income for both patients and caregivers. The ability to drive after 2 weeks restores patient independence and allows quicker return to work and normal activities, making CAR T therapy more accessible to a broader patient population across multiple states.
