Objective: To provide an overview of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory malignancy and the associated toxicities.
Data sources: Research articles, reviews, clinical trial information.
Conclusion: The key to the successful application of CAR T cell immunotherapy is (1) identifying patients with malignancies that are eligible for immunotherapy, (2) coordinating T-cell collection, (3) safe infusion of CAR T cells, and (4) managing/preventing toxicities following infusion.
Implications for nursing practice: As the use of targeted therapy with tumor-specific T cells becomes more prevalent, it is essential that the nursing staff stay abreast of these current therapies.
Keywords: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; CAR T cell therapy; Cytokine release syndrome; Immunotherapy; Neurotoxicity.
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