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This one-time treatment involves genetically modifying the patient’s own T cells to recognise and destroy cancer cells
The procedure involves extracting T cells from the patient’s blood, genetically modifying them in a laboratory to specifically target cancerous cells, and then infusing them back into the patient.
KIMSHEALTH Cancer Centre has successfully treated a patient with high-grade B-cell lymphoma using CAR T-cell therapy, giving the 47-year-old — who had previously failed to respond to first-line aggressive chemotherapy — a new lease of life.
The patient was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, specifically arising from B cells — a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies. After undergoing six cycles of chemotherapy at another hospital, a PET scan revealed persistence of the disease.
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At KIMSHEALTH, a medical team led by Dr Bijay P Nair, senior consultant, department of haemato-oncology, determined that CAR T-cell therapy was the optimal course of action. This one-time treatment involves genetically modifying the patient’s own T cells to recognise and destroy cancer cells.
“Since CAR T-cell therapy works through a different mechanism—utilising the body’s immune cells to fight lymphoma—it was the best available option for this patient,” said Nair. “Chemotherapy was administered to prepare the patient’s body for the engraftment of the modified T cells.”
The procedure involves extracting T cells from the patient’s blood, genetically modifying them in a laboratory to specifically target cancerous cells, and then infusing them back into the patient. These modified cells multiply to ensure an effective attack on the lymphoma.
The successful treatment was a collaborative effort involving a multidisciplinary team, comprising Dr Ashwin V Nair and Dr Lekshmon KS, clinical hematology and bone marrow transplant department, and Dr Sanooja Pinki, department of transfusion medicine.
- Location :
Thiruvananthapuram, India, India