Gleneagles Hospital Chennai, successfully treated a 49-year-old patient from Andhra Pradesh diagnosed with Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma (PCNSL) using advanced CAR-T cell therapy. Despite developing multiple serious treatment-related complications, the patient achieved complete remission and continues to recover well.
Patient Presented with Neurological Symptoms
The patient sought medical attention after experiencing:
Persistent headache
Giddiness
Difficulty in walking
Weakness in the left arm and leg
Detailed investigations confirmed Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma (PCNSL), a rare and aggressive brain lymphoma that is often difficult to treat.
Disease Progressed Despite Standard Treatment
Initially, the patient received high-dose chemotherapy, which is the standard first-line treatment for PCNSL. However, the lymphoma continued to progress after four cycles. Subsequently, the patient underwent radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy and oral targeted therapy as a bridging treatment. Since the disease remained resistant to treatment, the multidisciplinary team at Gleneagles Hospital Chennai discussed advanced therapeutic options with the patient and his family.
Hospital Administered India’s Indigenous CAR-T Therapy
The team proceeded with NexCAR19 (Talicabtagene Autoleucel), India’s indigenous CAR-T cell therapy. The treatment involved collecting the patient’s immune cells through leukapheresis, genetically modifying the cells to recognize and attack lymphoma cells, reinfusing the engineered CAR-T cells into the patient and serious complications managed successfully. After approximately one month of intensive treatment, the patient recovered sufficiently and was discharged.