Access to CAR T cell therapy, a personalized cancer treatment that has transformed outcomes for many patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL), reveals stark disparities along racial lines. This innovative therapy harnesses the power of modified T cells to target and destroy cancer cells, offering hope for those who have exhausted other treatment options. However, a recent study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania highlights alarming inequities in its availability, particularly for minority populations.
At the Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia, where minority populations make up a larger percentage of the patient base, only 6.7 percent of patients receiving CAR T cell therapy were from these groups. This is in contrast to 15.7 percent of the total patients treated for NHL. At the Oregon Health and Science University’s Knight Cancer Institute, the figures were similarly bleak, with just 4.2 percent of treated patients being from minority populations.
The study identifies potential barriers that may limit access, ranging from clinical issues to provider biases and socioeconomic factors. Lead author Guido Ghilardi emphasizes the need for awareness and action to ensure equitable treatment for all patients. As the medical community seeks to address these disparities, understanding the factors limiting access to effective therapies like CAR T cell treatment is essential for improving outcomes across racial and ethnic backgrounds.
See “Study reveals inequities in access to CAR T cell therapy” (March 2024)
