Improving Access to CAR T-Cell Therapy: Timely Referral and Care Coordination in the West-ACCC Webinar CAR T West

ACCC Webinar CAR T West - Deck 10.14.2026

Pdf Summary

This ACCC webinar, “Strengthening Collaborative Care Pathways for CAR T-Cell Therapy in the West,” focused on improving access, coordination, and continuity of care for patients receiving CAR T-cell therapy. Faculty from City of Hope discussed the importance of early referral, shared-care workflows, and post-treatment follow-up between community oncologists and authorized treatment centers (ATCs).<br /><br />Key themes included the growing role of CAR T earlier in treatment, especially for high-risk large B-cell lymphoma, and the need to reduce “brain-to-vein” time through faster referral, insurance authorization, workup, leukapheresis, manufacturing, and infusion. Presenters emphasized correcting common misconceptions: CAR T is not limited to young or fit patients, lack of a caregiver alone should not delay referral, and referring clinicians remain important before, during, and after treatment.<br /><br />The program also highlighted patient selection considerations beyond chronologic age, including comorbidities, frailty, function, and psychosocial support. Faculty encouraged early consultation, sometimes even at diagnosis, and suggested that high-risk biology, incomplete interim PET response, or ctDNA MRD findings may justify earlier cellular therapy discussion.<br /><br />The second half of the webinar addressed practical care coordination: referral initiation, insurance approval, medical workup, bridging therapy, lymphodepletion, infusion, and return to home oncologists. Post-CAR T monitoring topics included infections, hypogammaglobulinemia, cytopenias, neurotoxicity, secondary malignancies, cardiopulmonary issues, psychosocial effects, and relapse surveillance. The session closed with resources from ACCC and the Lymphoma Research Foundation to support collaborative care and patient education.

Keywords

ACCC webinar

CAR T-cell therapy

collaborative care

early referral

large B-cell lymphoma

brain-to-vein time

authorized treatment centers

shared-care workflows

post-treatment follow-up

patient selection