Coordinated planning for the treatment of blood cancers
Immune effector cell (IEC) therapy, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, is a type of cancer treatment that uses the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. Since 2018, Health Canada has approved several CAR T-cell therapies to treat specific types of blood cancer.
It is expected that more IEC therapies will be approved and their use expanded to other cancer types. However, because it is complex, costly and difficult to implement, IEC therapy faces challenges like keeping up with new evidence, managing rising demand, and finding its place among other treatment options.
Additionally, the use of CAR T-cell therapy requires specialized skills and facilities. For this reason, CAR T-cell therapy is delivered in a centralized manner – meaning not all provinces deliver this care and in those that do, it is provided at a limited number of centres.
Coordinated planning is needed provincially and nationally to identify patient populations that may best benefit from this therapy, set standards for how it is delivered, and improve equitable access to high quality care. This is the goal of the National IEC Therapy Consensus Advisory Committee, which is developing a pan-Canadian standardized clinical approach for the provision of CAR T-cell therapy for adult patients.
Who’s involved
The National IEC Therapy Consensus Advisory Committee engages clinicians from across Canada’s 10 provinces with expertise in IEC therapy and in providing care to people with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood disorders to create a common standard for eligibility for the referral, delivery, and quality assurance of IEC therapy for adult patients.
Through CAPCA, provincial cancer agencies and programs are supporting the National IEC Therapy Consensus Advisory Committee.
Latest Updates
Immune Effector Cell Therapy for Adult Patients in Canada: Consensus Statement, September 2024
2025-02-11
The goal of this document is to standardize eligibility criteria for CAR T-cell therapy across Canada.
“Immune effector cell therapy is making a difference in treating certain aggressive blood cancers, and research is expanding its use. To ensure a consistent national approach to delivering this treatment, we need a well-coordinated approach that evolves based on emerging evidence and clinical experience — ensuring patients can access appropriate high-quality care.”
Elaine Meertens, Vice President, Cancer Programs, Ontario Health/Cancer Care Ontario
