Geriatric assessment in patients aged 70 years and older considered for CAR T-cell therapy: A retrospective study

A retrospective study of 43 patients examined the role of geriatric assessment in patients aged 70 years or older for whom CAR T-cell therapy was considered. Of the patients who received treatment with CAR T-cell therapy, 85% developed cytokine release syndrome, and 59% developed immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome. Patients who were not recommended for CAR T-cell therapy showed a higher burden of frailty, often with vulnerabilities that had not been identified prior to the evaluation. The researchers concluded that geriatric evaluation may help optimize care by both identifying patients who are more likely to benefit from therapy as well as by identifying patients who have vulnerabilities that could increase the risk of treatment-related toxicities.