Lymphodepleting chemotherapy
Before you receive your infusion, you will need to undergo a few days of low dose chemotherapy. This treatment is known as lymphodepleting chemotherapy – or preparative chemotherapy.
It is intended to prepare your body for CAR T cell therapy by removing some of the lymphocytes and T cells still circulating in your body. This creates more room for the CAR T cells to work.
Treatment during the week before infusion
Lymphodepleting chemotherapy treatment is administered over 3 days in the week before your CAR T infusion. The doses of drugs you will receive are lower than the doses of your previous chemotherapy treatments.
Following this treatment you need to allow 2 days to let the treatment clear from your system.
As with all chemotherapy, this treatment may have side effects
These side effects may be similar to the effects of previous treatments, or they may be different.
Some of these side effects can be serious, so you may wish to discuss them with your doctor or healthcare team in advance as they can give you advice on how to manage them.
Some of the common side effects of lymphodepleting chemotherapy are:
- Infections
- Bruising or bleeding
- Sore mouth and ulcers
- Nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhoea
- Hair loss
- Skin changes, rashes or nail changes
- Eye problems
- Tiredness, muscle or joint pains
- Bladder irritation, effects on the kidneys and liver, build-up of fluid
- Peripheral neuropathy (numb, tingling or painful hands or feet)
- Headaches
Some of these side effects can be serious, so you may wish to discuss them with your doctor or healthcare team in advance as they can give you advice on how to manage them.
It is important to tell your healthcare team straight away if you have a temperature, feel unwell or have any severe side effects – even if they are not listed here.