Cellular Therapy

What is cellular therapy?

Cellular therapy uses transplanted human cells, commonly stem cells or blood cells, to help replace or repair damaged tissue or cells. In the treatment of cancer, cellular therapy is a type of immunotherapy designed to help the body’s immune system work better.

Baptist Cancer Center offers chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, or CAR T-cell therapy, to help patients fight cancer using their own T cells (a type of white blood cell). CAR T-cell therapy can take several weeks and begins when T cells are collected from your bloodstream intravenously. These cells are sent to a lab and genetically changed so they can locate and kill cancer cells better. The changed cells are then returned intravenously. Patients usually receive CAR T-cell infusion a few days after chemotherapy.

What types of cancer does CAR T-cell therapy treat?

Baptist Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy Center treats certain types of lymphoma and leukemia using CAR T-cell therapy. These treatments may require short-term or long-term recovery, depending on the type and stage of cancer, as well as subsequent chemotherapy.

What should patients expect after CAR T-cell therapy?

After CAR T-cell infusion, patients are hospitalized for a couple of weeks for monitoring and treatment of any side effects, such as fever, nausea, headaches and muscle or joint pain. Once discharged from the hospital, patients must remain close to our center for at least the next four weeks. During this time, patients are monitored and visit the outpatient clinic regularly for checkups.

How does an oncologist determine who needs CAR T-cell therapy?

Many factors determine if a patient is eligible for CAR T-cell therapy. If you or someone you love would like to know more, our oncologists are ready to answer your questions. To schedule an appointment to learn more, please call 901-226-5151.

Learn More About Our Cancer Services

Baptist Cancer Center provides a wide range of cancer care services. Whether you or a loved one needs a stem cell transplant for cancer, genetic counseling, reconstructive surgery or another form of cancer support, we serve the Mid-South and beyond. Learn more about our cancer services now.