Step 1: Initial consult meeting with your CAR-T hematologist and healthcare team
Once your doctor has decided that CAR-T cell therapy is the right treatment for you, you will be scheduled for a consultation appointment with a CAR-T hematologist and nurse practitioner. During this appointment, the healthcare team will do a thorough review of your medical history and explain the steps of CAR-T cell therapy.
Once you have chosen to proceed, you will need to sign the required consent forms. Additionally, your healthcare team will begin making a unique treatment plan to guide your care, including ordering many tests to ensure all your major organs are healthy enough to withstand treatment.
These tests may include:
- Blood tests: These are done to test your kidney and liver function, as well as to screen for any potential infections.
- CT (Computed Tomography) scan, which is a type of special X-ray that shows organs, bones, and soft tissues, including tumours.
- A bone marrow biopsy and aspiration is a minor procedure that involves taking a sample of bone marrow and bone tissue from your pelvic or breastbone.
- A PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan is an imaging test that uses a safe radioactive chemical given through an IV. It helps get images of your tissues and organs working in real time and can find changes in your cells.
- Echocardiogram is an ultrasound of your heart that measures heart function. An ECG will also be done to measure your heart rhythm.
- Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) is a breathing test that assesses lung function. It measures how much air your lungs can hold and how well air moves through your lungs. Results of this test will provide your physician with how well your lungs work before starting CAR-T cell therapy.
- Head MRI (Medical Resonance Imaging) can look at the blood flow through different parts of the brain or spinal cord and help diagnose abnormalities in these areas.
