Caregiver & Housing Hurdles: Equity in HCT & CAR T Treatment
Hannah Abrams, MD, discusses the key takeaways of research into nonmedical barriers to HCT and CAR T therapy.
Research led by Hannah Abrams, MD, fellow in hematolog-oncology at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, looked into nonmedical requirements for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy across US academic centers. A national survey of 31 institutions (91% response rate) showed notable variability in caregiver requirements (including duration and support), local housing and transportation expectations, and cell phone access.
Maybe surprisingly, "all-outpatient" protocols had stricter logistical criteria. Further, many centers reported excluding patients with histories of medication nonadherence, substance use, or psychiatric comorbidities, but often without formal stipulations behind these exclusions. Institutions identified caregiving, housing, cost, and insurance as major nonmedical barriers.
Investigators concluded that the lack of standardized nonmedical policies leads potential inequities in access to these therapies and recommended formal tracking of reasons for noneligibility to inform interventions aimed at improving access and equity.
In an interview with Targeted OncologyTM, Abrams discussed the key takeways from this research.
