T cell lymphoma and secondary primary malignancy risk after commercial CAR T cell therapy

Nat Med. 2024 Apr;30(4):984-989. doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-02826-w. Epub 2024 Jan 24.

Abstract

We report a T cell lymphoma (TCL) occurring 3 months after anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy for non-Hodgkin B cell lymphoma. The TCL was diagnosed from a thoracic lymph node upon surgery for lung cancer. The TCL exhibited CD8+ cytotoxic phenotype and a JAK3 variant, while the CAR transgene was very low. The T cell clone was identified at low levels in the blood before CAR T infusion and in lung cancer. To assess the overall risk of secondary primary malignancy after commercial CAR T (CD19, BCMA), we analyzed 449 patients treated at the University of Pennsylvania. At a median follow-up of 10.3 months, 16 patients (3.6%) had a secondary primary malignancy. The median onset time was 26.4 and 9.7 months for solid and hematological malignancies, respectively. The projected 5-year cumulative incidence is 15.2% for solid and 2.3% for hematological malignancies. Overall, one case of TCL was observed, suggesting a low risk of TCL after CAR T.

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, CD19
  • Hematologic Neoplasms*
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / adverse effects
  • Lung Neoplasms*
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell*
  • Lymphoma, T-Cell*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen* / genetics

Substances

  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Antigens, CD19