Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy: an overview for nurses
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy: an overview for nurses

Emma Thoms Senior lecturer, College of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, England
Alison Simons Senior lecturer, College of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To enhance your knowledge of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy

  • To be aware of the potential side effects, adverse reactions and life-threatening acute toxicities associated with CAR T-cell therapy

  • To recognise what the role of the nurse may entail in relation to CAR T-cell therapy

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a relatively new and innovative immunotherapy for haemato-oncological diseases. In the UK, CAR T-cell therapy can be used to treat some patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. However, CAR T-cell therapy can have side effects that have implications for patients’ physical and psychosocial well-being and may induce adverse reactions that can cause life-threatening acute toxicities. Nurses may have a significant role throughout the CAR T-cell therapy process, including in supporting patient decision-making, administering infusions, monitoring patients, identifying and managing adverse reactions, and providing follow-up care. This article provides an overview of CAR T-cell therapy and describes some of its potential side effects and adverse reactions. The authors also consider the role of the nurse and the implications for the nursing workforce in terms of meeting the needs of the increasing numbers of patients who may become eligible for this treatment as it is extended to other cancer types.

Nursing Standard. 39, 11, 49-54. doi: 10.7748/ns.2024.e12349

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

@Alison_Emma_BCU

Correspondence

Emma.Thoms@bcu.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Thoms E, Simons A (2024) Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy: an overview for nurses. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2024.e12349

Published online: 09 September 2024

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