Side Effects
Your care team will monitor you closely for side effects and complications from your treatment. In the days after CAR T-cell infusion, you may feel very tired and have a poor appetite. Other common side effects, which most patients experience either during infusion or in the days or weeks after, are listed below.
Patients may have side effects that are severe enough to require a higher level of care. If you experience serious side effects, you may be transferred to the intensive care unit at Brigham and Women's Hospital for a period of time.
Cytokine Release Syndrome
In some patients, the immune system may become hyperactive as CAR T cells travel through the body. Substances called cytokines are released into the system. Substances called cytokines are released into the system. This can make you feel like you have the flu. These symptoms can range from mild or severe and may include:
Neurological Complications
CAR T cells and cytokines may affect your central nervous system and brain, causing neurologic complications. Signs and symptoms of neurological complications may also range from mild to severe and may include:
B-cell Aplasia
B cells are a type of immune system cell. Some cancers also involve B cells, such as certain types of lymphoma and leukemia. When CAR T cells are engineered to target B cells, there can be a very large drop in the number of both cancerous and healthy B cells in the body. This can put you at high risk of infection. You may receive medicine through your IV called immune globulin to increase the number of B cells and help support your immune system after receiving CAR T cells.
Tumor Lysis Syndrome
Conditioning chemotherapy and CAR T-cell therapy are designed to target your cancer cells. In some cases, this process may destroy a large amount of tumor. When these cancer cells die, the contents of the cells are released into your bloodstream. This can result in shifts of fluid and minerals, and possibly lead to kidney damage. Your team will monitor you closely for signs of tumor lysis syndrome and will provide treatment as needed. This may include giving you IV fluids and medicines to help the body clear these excess minerals and protect the kidneys.
Patients may have side effects that are severe enough to require a higher level of care. If you experience serious side effects, you may be transferred to the intensive care unit at Brigham and Women's Hospital for a period of time.
Cytokine Release Syndrome
In some patients, the immune system may become hyperactive as CAR T cells travel through the body. Substances called cytokines are released into the system. Substances called cytokines are released into the system. This can make you feel like you have the flu. These symptoms can range from mild or severe and may include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Extreme fatigue
- Low blood pressure
- Trouble breathing
Neurological Complications
CAR T cells and cytokines may affect your central nervous system and brain, causing neurologic complications. Signs and symptoms of neurological complications may also range from mild to severe and may include:
- Headache
- Tremor
- Mild to severe confusion
- Difficulty speaking or understanding language
- Not acting like yourself
B-cell Aplasia
B cells are a type of immune system cell. Some cancers also involve B cells, such as certain types of lymphoma and leukemia. When CAR T cells are engineered to target B cells, there can be a very large drop in the number of both cancerous and healthy B cells in the body. This can put you at high risk of infection. You may receive medicine through your IV called immune globulin to increase the number of B cells and help support your immune system after receiving CAR T cells.
Tumor Lysis Syndrome
Conditioning chemotherapy and CAR T-cell therapy are designed to target your cancer cells. In some cases, this process may destroy a large amount of tumor. When these cancer cells die, the contents of the cells are released into your bloodstream. This can result in shifts of fluid and minerals, and possibly lead to kidney damage. Your team will monitor you closely for signs of tumor lysis syndrome and will provide treatment as needed. This may include giving you IV fluids and medicines to help the body clear these excess minerals and protect the kidneys.