Step 8: Discharge from hospital
Deciding when you are ready to go home is a collaborative decision with the entire CAR-T healthcare team.
Once you have been discharged from the Inpatient Oncology unit, you will have follow-up appointments with your CAR-T healthcare team as an outpatient. See below the anticipated timelines.
- Day 0-14: Admission on the Inpatient Oncology Unit. Discharge on day 14 (on average).
- Day 14-30: Outpatient appointments will take place 3 times a week in the C7 day hospital. They will be scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
- After day 30: You will return back to your original hematologist and be followed by them. They will schedule follow up visits for you.
During your follow-up appointments, your CAR-T healthcare team will check your bloodwork, look for signs of CRS, TLS, neurologic changes, signs of infection, and low blood cell counts.
Your healthcare team may order more treatments such as:
- Electrolytes or blood products like red blood cells, platelets and/or immunoglobulin.
- Medications such as antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals may also be prescribed to lower your risk of infections.
Long-term side effects
You may have long-lasting side effects from your CAR-T cell therapy, which can occur months to years later.
Common long-term side effects may include:
- Low blood cell counts
- Brain fog
- Trouble remembering things or concentrating
- Hormone changes
- Fatigue
- Decreased appetite
- Infection and changes in your immune system
Many complications can be managed or minimized with proper screening, preventive measures, and lifestyle changes.
You will remain a patient at LHSC for a long time to help identify, monitor, and manage possible long-term complications or side effects.
