NCMP-27. THE USE OF INTRAVENOUS IMMUNOGLOBULIN (IVIG) DURING SEVERE NEUROTOXICITY AMONG THE RECIPIENTS OF CHIMERIC ANTIGEN RECEPTOR T-CELLS (CAR-T) THERAPY. (9th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mokhtari, Sepideh; Asquith, Justin; Bachmeier, Christina; Faramand, Rawan; Kim, Youngchul; Peguero, Edwin; Sahebjam, Solmaz; Jain, Michael; Vogelbaum, Michael; Davila, Marco; Forsyth, Peter; Locke, Frederick; Aleksandr, Lazaryan
• Is Part Of: Neuro-oncology. Volume 22(2020)Supplement 2
• Page Start: ii128
• Page End: ii128
• Publication Date: 2020-11-09
• Subjects: Brain Neoplasms -- Periodicals; Brain -- Tumors -- Periodicals; Brain -- Cancer -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Cancer -- Periodicals; 616.99481
• DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noaa215.538
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1522-8517

Abstract

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Severe Immune effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS) occurs in ~ 30% of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) patients treated with CAR-T cell therapy. The current treatment for severe ICANS is glucocorticoids, and this may be combined with tocilizumab for concurrent cytokine release syndrome. Even with these treatments, neurotoxicity can persist. It is essential, therefore, to find additional treatments to more effectively reverse CAR-T neurotoxicity. OBJECTIVE: We summarize our institutional experience using IVIG to treat severe or refractory ICANS after glucocorticoids alone. METHOD: This is a single center retrospective cohort study of neurologic and oncologic outcomes among patients who received axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) for DLBCL or its variants from May 2015 to February 2019. We identified those patients who developed severe ICANS subsequently treated with glucocorticoids alone (n = 10) or glucocorticoids plus IVIG (n = 9). RESULTS: The median age of all 19 patients was 63 (range 47-75, and 68% were males). All IVIG recipients received glucocorticoids prior to IVIG administration. There was no significant difference in time to resolution (TTR) of severe ICANS between both groups (median 3 vs. 3 days, Log-rank p = 0.331). However, we found that all IVIG recipients had experienced either escalation of their neurotoxicity grade or persistent severe neurotoxicity after initiation of steroids (p = 0.001). Moreover, IVIG recipients had worse ECOG performance status prior to axi-cel therapy (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Although we found no difference in TTR of severe ICANS with addition of IVIG to glucocorticoids, our analysis suggests that the addition of IVIG blunted the effects of steroid-refractory neurotoxicity. Patients who received IVIG had worsening ICANS despite administration of steroids and therefore might have benefited from the earlier addition of IVIG. Controlled studies may clarify the potential efficacy of IVIG in severe neurotoxicity after CAR-T therapy.