CD19-directed CART therapy for T-cell/histiocyte–rich large B-cell lymphoma

T-cell/histiocyte–rich large B-cell lymphoma (THRLBCL) is a rare histologic variant of LBCL. Limited data regarding CD19–directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) therapy in relapsed/refractory (R/R) THRLBCL suggest poor efficacy. We investigated CART outcomes for R/R THRLBCL through the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research registry. A total of 58 adult patients with R/R THRLBCL who received commercial CD19-CART therapy between 2018 and 2022 were identified. Most patients (67%) had early relapse of disease (45% primary refractory) with a median of 3 (range, 1-7) prior therapies and were treated with axicabtagene ciloleucel (69%). At median follow-up of 23 months after CART therapy, 2-year overall and progression-free survival were 42% (95% confidence interval [CI], 27-57) and 29% (95% CI, 17-43), respectively. In univariable analysis, poor performance status before CART therapy was associated with higher mortality (hazard ratio, 2.35; 95%CI, 1.02-5.5). The 2-year cumulative incidences of relapse/progression and nonrelapse mortality were 69% and 2%, respectively. Grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell–associated neurologic syndrome occurred in 7% and 15% of patients, respectively. In this largest analysis of CD19-CART therapy for R/R THRLBCL, ~30% of patients were alive and progression free 2 years after CART therapy. Despite a high incidence of progression (69% at 2 years), these results suggest a subset of patients with R/R THRLBCL may have durable responses with CARTs.