Next month, I’ll start the CAR T-Cell therapy process with CARVYKTI®. I’ll start by having a vascath inserted. We used to just call these “Hickmans,” which is a brand name, no matter who made them. This is what a central venous catheter looks like: https://myeloma.blog/this-is-a-neostar-triple-lumen-catheter/ and this is what a Hickman looks like: https://myeloma.blog/hickman-catheter/.
Anyway, my first encounter will be in January. I’ll have the catheter inserted and then will have leukapheresis. After that, my T cells will be shipped off to a lab to be engineered to fight myeloma. Next, the T cells will be multiplied. After that (a procedure that can take two to several weeks), the T cells will be shipped back to the hospital. The next thing I’ll have to do is undergo three days of chemo: fludarabine and cyclophosphamide.
The CARVYKTI® website describes the process best.
I’ll update as often as I can.