Access to Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy for Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma

Geographic access to novel oncology therapies, and the extent to which it may vary by potential sites of care, regions, and population characteristics, is poorly understood. We examined how expanding access to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy administration sites impacts patient travel distances and time.

We used geographic information system techniques to calculate shortest travel distance and time between patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and the nearest CAR T cell therapy administration site in three scenarios: academic hospitals; academic and community multispecialty hospitals; and academic and community multispecialty hospitals plus nonacademic specialty oncology network centers. Main outcome measures were differences in travel distance and time among the scenarios and the relationship between travel time and socioeconomic status, race, rural-urban areas, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma clusters. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma incidence, socioeconomic status, and administration centers were derived from governmental/publicly available data sources.

Of 3922 patients eligible for CAR T cell therapy, more than 37% had to travel more than 1 h to the nearest academic hospital. Average travel time and distance were significantly reduced by 23% and 30% (P < 0.001), respectively, when access was expanded to include community hospitals plus a broader range of oncology specialty treatment centers. Compared to academic hospitals alone, increasing access to include community hospitals decreased time and distance by 7% and 8% (P < 0.01), respectively. In addition, there would be a lower proportion of sites operating as the only care provider within 25 miles if access was expanded outside of academic hospitals only. Longer travel time was associated with lower socioeconomic status.

Many patients with DLBCL have long travel times to an academic hospital that administers CAR T cell therapy. Expanding access to care through site-of-care planning will help address regional, rural-urban, and sociodemographic equity in the geographic allocation of CAR T cell therapy.