Patient-Reported Neuropsychiatric Outcomes of Long-Term Survivors after Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T Cell Therapy
Authors: Bar Merav , Ruark Julia , Mullane Erin , Cleary Nancy , Cordeiro Ana , Bezerra Evandro D. , Voutsinas Jenna M. , Shaw Bronwen E. , Wu Qian Vicky , Flynn Kathryn E , Lee Stephanie J. , Turtle Cameron J. , Maloney David G. , Fann Jesse 
Published: November 2019

CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a novel treatment with promising results for patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoid malignancies. CAR-T cell therapy has known early toxicities of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity, but little is known about long-term neuropsychiatric adverse effects.

We have utilized patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including PROMIS®measures, to assess outcomes of patients with relapse/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who were treated with CD19-targeted CAR-T cells on a clinical trial in our institution (NCT01865617) and survived at least one year after treatment.

Between October 2018 to February 2019, 52 patients (at their 1-5 year anniversary after CAR-T cell therapy) were sent a questionnaire. The questionnaire included the PROMIS Scale v1.2-Global Health and the PROMIS-29 Profile v2.1, as well as 30 additional questions, including questions pertaining to cognitive function. As of February 28, 2019, 40 questionnaires were returned (76.9% response rate) and were included in the analysis. Patients' characteristics are summarized in Table 1.

Cognitive function was assessed by asking if patients had experienced difficulties with concentration, finding words, memory, or solving problems since their CAR-T cell therapy; answer "yes" to each of the questions received "1" point to determine the total cognitive difficulty score (0-4). PROMIS measures are standardized to a T-score metric, with a score of 50 representing the general US population mean. Clinically meaningful differences were defined as a 5-point difference in scores (1/2 standard deviation).

The cohort's self-reported cognitive difficulties and PROMIS mean T scores are shown in Table 2. Mean T scores of PROMIS domains of Global Mental health, Global Physical Health, Social Function, anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain and sleep disturbance were not clinically meaningfully different from the mean in the general US population. However, 19 participants (47.5%) reported at least one cognitive difficulty and/or clinically meaningful depression and/or anxiety (Figure 1), and 7 participants (17.5%) scored ≤ 40 in Global Mental Health, indicating at least one standard deviation worse than the general population mean.

On risk factor analysis, younger age was found to be associated with worse Global Mental Health (p=0.02), anxiety (p=0.01) and depression (p=0.01). Anxiety prior to CAR-T cell therapy was associated with increased likelihood of anxiety after CAR-T cell therapy (p=0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed association between age and PROMIS Global Mental Health score (p=0.03).

15 participants (37.5%) reported cognitive difficulties post CAR-T cell therapy. On multivariate analysis, depression prior to CAR-T cell therapy was statistically significantly associated with higher likelihood of self-reported cognitive difficulties after CAR-T therapy (p=0.02) and there was a trend for association between acute neurotoxicity after CAR-T cell infusion and self-reported long-term cognitive difficulties (p=0.08). Having more cognitive difficulties was associated with worse Global Mental Health (p=0.0001) and worse Global Physical Health (p= 0.01). Similarly, worse scores for pain interference, sleep disturbance, fatigue, depression, anxiety, physical function, and social function were associated with more long-term self-reported cognitive difficulties (p=0.007,p=0.0003, p=0.00006, p=0.01, p=0.0007, p=0.003, p=0.0004 respectively).

Our study demonstrates overall good neuropsychiatric outcomes in 40 long-term survivors after CAR-T cell therapy. However, despite good overall mean scores, nearly 50% of patients in the cohort reported at least one negative neuropsychiatric outcome (anxiety, depression or cognitive difficulty), and almost 20% scored at least one standard deviation lower than the general US population mean in Global Mental Health, indicating that there is a significant number of patients who would likely benefit from mental health services following CAR-T cell therapy. Younger age, anxiety and depression pre-CAR-T cell therapy, and acute neurotoxicity after CAR-T cell infusion may be risk factors for long-term neuropsychiatric problems in this patient population. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Disclosures

Shaw: Therakos: Other: Speaker Engagement. Lee:AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Syndax: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Kadmon: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding. Turtle:T-CURX: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite/Gilead: Other: Ad hoc advisory board member; Caribou Biosciences: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Allogene: Other: Ad hoc advisory board member; Humanigen: Other: Ad hoc advisory board member; Juno Therapeutics: Patents & Royalties: Co-inventor with staff from Juno Therapeutics; pending, Research Funding; Nektar Therapeutics: Other: Ad hoc advisory board member, Research Funding; Precision Biosciences: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Eureka Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Other: Ad hoc advisory board member. Maloney:Juno Therapeutics: Honoraria, Patents & Royalties: patients pending , Research Funding; A2 Biotherapeutics: Honoraria, Other: Stock options ; Celgene,Kite Pharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; BioLine RX, Gilead,Genentech,Novartis: Honoraria.