Clinical Research Directory

Study of the Association Between Fatigue Experienced by Patients and the Specific Side Effects of CART Cells, During the First Month After Administration for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

The incidence of cancer in 2023 is estimated at 433136 cases, according to INCa. Haemopathies account for 12% of these new cases of cancer cases of cancer, and around two-thirds are lymphoid haemopathies, in particular lymphomas. There are many treatments available for lymphoma. However, the arrival in France in 2018 of immunotherapy treatments such as CAR-T Cells have changed the paradigm of treatment options for certain non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. In these treatments can have both short-term and long-term adverse effects and long-term adverse effects. During hospitalisation for the administration of CAR-T Cells, acute side effects include CRS and ICANS. There is also another complication very specific to this treatment that has been observed in patients: cytopenias. This is despite the fact that one of the symptoms frequently mentioned and felt by patients during the first month after month after treatment is fatigue. Despite numerous studies on the prevalence of fatigue, healthcare professionals often underestimate this symptom. Nurses, and in particular the advanced practice nurse have a crucial role to play in assessing fatigue. The EORTC scale QLQ-FA12 is a multidimensional scale which assesses the physical emotional and cognitive dimensions of fatigue. The theory of symptom management, which was developed in 1994 by the California College of Nursing in San Francisco, is a relevant framework for understanding fatigue in patients. This theory places the patient's experience at the centre of care. This holistic approach provides a detailed framework for understanding this symptom. "According to the theoretical model, measuring the symptom is an important step and characterising it is an essential element in better targeting the actions to be taken". Although CAR-T Cell therapy is innovative and allows long-term remissions, it is important to evaluate and understand how patients live with this treatment. To our knowledge, few studies have been carried out on quality of life, particularly regarding fatigue, following the first month of CAR-T Cell administration. The research question we will address in this study is: "Is there an association between the side effects of CAR-T Cell treatment and the state of fatigue in patients receiving this treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during the first month?"

Early Integration of Palliative and Supportive Care in Cellular Therapy

Research has shown that early palliative care in cancer care is associated with improved symptom management, better prognostic understanding, improved quality of life for patients and family caregivers, and even improved survival. Yet, in spite of the proven benefits of integration of palliative care in oncology, it has been well established that patients with hematologic malignancies and those undergoing cellular therapy (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy) do not routinely receive palliative care. Most of the published research on the early integration of palliative care in oncology describes studies that have involved patients with solid tumours. To date, only one randomized trial examining the impact of integrated palliative care among patients undergoing HSCT has been published and there have been no studies examining the impact of integrated palliative care for patients undergoing CAR T-cell therapy. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recommends early palliative care for patients with advanced cancers or for those with high symptom burden. Patients with blood cancers experience high symptom burden and in the last 30 days of life, compared to patients with solid tumours, patients with blood cancers are more likely to die in hospital, have more intensive care unit admissions, have prolonged hospitalizations (\>14 days), and pass away in an acute care facility. There is an urgent need to proactively address suffering throughout cellular therapy trajectories, even before treatment starts, so that patients and caregivers are not inevitably waiting for symptoms to arise before they can be addressed and to optimize quality of life for patients undergoing transplant as well as their family caregivers. PALS\_CT will compare early palliative care to standard care for patients and their family caregivers undergoing HSCT or CAR T-cell therapy for blood cancers.