Promising results after CAR T-cell therapy for leukemia and lymphoma
Swedish cancer patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy show better survival rates and fewer side effects than seen in previous studies. This is shown in a new compilation of Swedish treatment results conducted by researchers in the SWECARNET network.
CAR T-cell therapy is a tailored immunotherapy that has proven effective against certain blood and lymphatic cancers where there was previously no hope of a cure. The Uppsala University Hospital was the first in Europe to initiate an academic CAR T study for patients with B-cell lymphoma. Five years later, in 2019, the first patient was treated within standard care at Karolinska University Hospital, and today there are several treatment centers in Sweden.
Better treatment effect and fewer side effects
For the first time, researchers have now compiled results for Swedish patients who received CAR T-cell therapy. The compilation has been published in the scientific journal Leukemia.
The results show better treatment effects and fewer serious side effects compared to the very first clinical studies. The results apply to 93 adult patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma (ABCL) treated between 2019 and 2024. Of these, 66 percent achieved complete remission, meaning the cancer completely diminished, within 30 days after treatment. One year after treatment, 53 percent were without relapse. A particularly interesting finding was that older patients did not have worse outcomes than younger ones.
The successes are not only due to improved treatment but also to patient selection and increased knowledge of how to manage side effects. The study is an important step forward in understanding and further improving the treatment of blood cancer using CAR T-cells.
The article is based on a press release from Skåne University Hospital.
SWECARNET
Sweden's competence network for CAR T-cells, SWECARNET, is a network for key representatives in the Swedish CAR T field, working to increase competence, knowledge exchange, and standardized processes for the treatment and follow-up of CAR T.
The network is funded by Vinnova and coordinated by Karolinska Institutet with nation-wide representation from university hospitals, industry partners and academia.
Publication
Implementation of standard of care CAR-T-cell treatment for patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Sweden.
Leukemia 2025 May;39(5):1256-1259
Mats Jerkeman, Skåne University Hospital and Lund University.
Karin Mellgren, Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
Kristina Sonnevi, Karolinska University Hospital.
Mikael Lisak, Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
Ingemar Lagerlöf, Linköping University Hospital.
Balazs Kapas, Skåne University Hospital.
Hanna Sjölund, Karolinska Institutet.
Jacek Toporski, Karolinska University Hospital.
Hans Hagberg, Uppsala University Hospital.
Stephan Mielke, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital.
Gunilla Enblad, Uppsala University Hospital.