{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"The CAR T Access Crisis: Why Eligible Patients Aren\u2019t Getting a Potentially Curative Therapy","description":"In this episode of Bench to Bedside, Dr. Roy Jensen welcomes Dr. Joseph McGurk, division director of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapies at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, to discuss CAR T-cell therapy and the growing \u201cCAR T crisis\u201d in access. Dr. McGurk explains how CAR T is made from a patient\u2019s own T cells and why it has produced unprecedented, potentially curative outcomes in blood cancers such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leading to FDA approvals in second- and third-line settings. He shares national data showing only 25% of eligible second-line patients and 35% of eligible third-line patients receive CAR T, with access declining as distance from a treatment center increases. The conversation highlights barriers including referral patterns, education gaps, logistics, socioeconomic factors, and disparities, and outlines KU\u2019s efforts to expand outreach, partner with community sites, and build infrastructure to improve timely evaluation and treatment. 00:00 Welcome and the CAR T Crisis 01:25 How CAR T works 05:00 Breakthrough results and approvals 06:52 The access gap data 10:16 Why delays are deadly 11:49 Barriers to referral and equity 17:31 Taking CAR T closer to home 19:37 What patients can do now 22:22 Rapid evaluation and parallel workflow 24:26 New cancer center and GMP expansion 28:46 Closing thoughts and resources Links from this Episode:  Learn more about CAR T treatment at KU Cancer Center Learn more about Dr. Joseph McGuirk Read Dr. McGuirk\u2019s research \u201cReal-world treatment patterns and survival outcomes in second and third line settings in large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL)\u201d Read Dr. McGuirk\u2019s article \u201cLeading Oncologist Rings the Alarm Bell: \u2018We Have a Crisis in Life-Saving Access to CAR T-Cell Therapy\u2019 Hear Dr. McGuirk talk about CAR T access on KCUR\u2019s \u201cUp to Date\u201d podcast To ensure you get our latest updates, follow us on the social media channel of your choice by searching for KU Cancer Center.   ","author_name":"Bench to Bedside","author_url":"http:\/\/benchtobedside.libsyn.com\/website","html":"