FAQ: Do you lose your hair with CAR T-cell therapy?

No, hair loss is not a common side effect of CAR T-cell therapy. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which often causes hair loss due to its impact on rapidly dividing cells, CAR T-cell therapy targets cancer cells differently. During CAR T-cell therapy, the patient’s own T-cells are genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that target specific cancer cells. Once the engineered CAR T-cells are infused back into the patient, they recognize and attack the cancer cells without affecting hair follicles or causing hair loss. However, as part of the conditioning lymphodepleting chemotherapy patients receive prior to the treatment, hair loss may be apparent.