New Analysis Finds No Link Between CAR T-Cell Therapy, Secondary Cancers
February 05, 2025
Rare occurrences of secondary malignancies following treatment chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies appear to be linked to prior cancer treatments rather than the CAR T-cell therapies, according to a new analysis published in
Nature Medicine.
In this study, investigators from the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center analyzed samples from 783 adult and pediatric patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy in clinical trials at Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Researchers identified 18 cases of secondary cancers, but none were attributed to insertional mutagenesis associated with the CAR T-cell therapy. Instead, the study authors linked the cases to immune system damage from prior treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation.
The findings from this study reinforce those of a previous study published in the
New England Journal of Medicine, which also suggested that secondary cancers arising after CAR T-cell therapy may be due to baseline immunosuppression or treatment side effects.
“It typically takes multiples factors causing changes at the cellular level for cancer to develop and grow,” said co-senior author, Frederic Bushman, PhD. “As we continue to evaluate larger cohorts of individuals treated with CAR T-cell therapy, there is a chance we find an exception. However, the evidence continues to reassure us that the benefits of CAR T-cell therapy far outweigh the risks.”
According to the investigators, the study underscores the importance of long-term patient monitoring both during and after treatment.
“As we develop new cancer therapies, patient safety is always our top priority,” said co-senior author Carl June, MD. “We know that all cancer treatments come with some form of risk, and we aim to continue making CAR T-cell therapy even safer and more effective so that more patients and their families can benefit from this lifesaving therapy.”
