Research & Publications
Treatment Patterns, Health Care Resource Utilization, and Costs of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell vs. Standard Therapy for Relapsed/Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma in the United States
Summary
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer that often returns after treatment. This study examined real-world outcomes for nearly 3,000 patients in the U.S. with relapsed or refractory MCL, comparing those who received chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy to those treated with standard approaches like chemoimmunotherapy or targeted drugs.
Patients treated with CAR T therapy were significantly less likely to need additional treatment and went longer without their disease progressing. After CAR T, 85 percent of patients did not require further therapies for their MCL during the study period compared to 63 percent of patients receiving standard therapy, suggesting better long-term disease control after CAR T. They also had lower ongoing medical and pharmacy costs compared to those receiving standard therapies, who often needed multiple additional treatments with shorter benefit.
Why This Matters
Although CAR T therapy has a high upfront cost, it may reduce the overall burden of care by extending treatment-free time and lowering long-term health care use. These findings support the potential benefits of offering CAR T earlier in the treatment journey for eligible patients with relapsed or refractory MCL. As access to this therapy grows, continued real-world research will be important to guide clinical and coverage decisions.
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