Long-term neurocognitive effects of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy: Integrating assessments into nursing practice

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is a newly evolving therapy with well-known acute neurotoxic effects. While the long-term neurotoxic effects of this therapy are under researched, they exist in subsets of the post-treatment population. Nurses can focus on assessments before and after CAR-T therapy to determine the degree to which these neurotoxic effects progress. These assessments include subjective and objective tools, as well as an understanding of risk factors associated with a higher degree of adverse cognitive events. By utilizing current research, hematological nurses can advocate for this unmet need to be monitored and intervened upon to improve patient outcomes.

Keywords

• chimeric antigen receptor therapy
• nursing assessments
• neurotoxic effects