Although chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is a highly effective and tolerable cellular therapy for relapsed and refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and multiple myeloma, less than half of patients who are eligible for CAR-T therapy receive it.Barriers to access include differences in insurance policies and coverage, distance to a CAR-T center, availability of caregiving and social support, and costs of supportive medical care surrounding CAR-T treatment.These barriers disproportionately affect minorities, rural populations, and lower income families.Some medical advancements in CAR-T therapy are focused on decreasing some of these barriers and community efforts have attempted to bridge these gaps.Ultimately, new strategies and state-level policy changes are needed to overcome these barriers to increase equitable access to CAR-T cell therapy for all patients who need this treatment.Delivery 2026;6789102.Major barriers to CAR-T cell therapy include insurance coverage, distance to a CAR-T center, caregiving support, and unseen costs of medical care (additional childcare, travel, lodging, supportive medications).Patients need readily available support and strategies to overcome these barriers. binaytara.org/journal | Shanmugasundaram et al. International Journal of Cancer Care and3. These barriers disproportionately affect certain populations of patients, including ethnic minorities, lower income families, rural populations, and patients that fall within a lower socioeconomic status, and thus active strategies are needed to help these populations gain improved access to CAR-T cell therapy.
Shanmugasundaram et al. (2026) studied this question.