What if you could predict , and take action to potentially prevent it before it does?
After treatment, many people wonder: Will my cancer return? Sadly, for approximately 1 in 3 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the answer is “yes.”1
It is understandable to feel ready to move on from your diagnosis, and the thought of more testing or treatment may feel daunting. Staying informed and taking a proactive approach may help you and your care team better understand the risk of your cancer returning (also called recurrence) and the options available.
The good news is if you are scheduled for, or currently receiving, initial chemotherapy (known as first-line treatment), a new investigational blood test given after treatment may provide more information. While standard tests indicate that you are in remission, this blood test looks for very small amounts of cancer that may remain in your blood after treatment. The results may help predict if you are at higher risk of having your cancer return.
Whether you are a patient or a caregiver supporting someone you love, this site can help you learn more, prepare for conversations with the care team, and understand what questions to ask about possible next steps.
If the test indicates you are in the high-risk group and you meet the study’s other requirements, you may be able to participate in the ALPHA3 study.
ALPHA3 aims to predict whose cancer might return and stop it before it happens. The ALPHA3 study is designed to test if a one-time treatment with an investigational CAR-T cell therapy, or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, can help eliminate that small amount of cancer and prevent it from coming back.
Think of this like putting out a fire as soon as you see the first puff of smoke, before it grows into a big blaze that’s much harder to control.
An empowered, proactive approach to your cancer is here, and you may be eligible to take part.
About the ALPHA3 Clinical Study
DLBCL is a treatable cancer, and many patients will achieve remission after completing treatment. Unfortunately, approximately 1 in 3 will see their cancer return, usually within the first year after treatment.2
Understanding Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) and Blood Cancers
What It Is
B-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, makes up about 85% of the non-Hodgkin lymphomas in the United States. These types of lymphomas start in white blood cells called B cells. In this kind of cancer, the abnormal B cells begin to multiply uncontrollably and form tumors, often in lymph nodes, which are part of the immune system.
How Is It Treated?
Your treatment depends on the type of lymphoma, where it is in your body, your age, and your overall health. For newly diagnosed patients, treatment options include chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, and radiation. Most patients with B-cell lymphoma experience a significant reduction or complete elimination of detectable cancer (also called remission) after treatment.
At this point, patients may enter a “watch and wait” period, during which they are monitored for signs that the cancer has returned, and further treatment is given only if needed. This period of observation lasts years and is often a stressful time for patients. New tools, such as investigational MRD (minimal residual disease) tests, may help ease this anxiety by providing more information about the likelihood of your cancer coming back.
Approximately 1 in 3 patients who achieve a remission after treatment will have their cancer return, usually within the first year after treatment. If the disease comes back, treatment options include stem cell transplant, targeted therapies, and CAR T-cell therapy, amongst others4. As the disease progresses, treatment options become more limited. Many turn to clinical studies and investigational therapies. Unfortunately, some patients whose cancer returns will not be able to receive the most powerful treatments available, like CAR T-cell therapy, due to reasons such as not meeting eligibility criteria or not having access to available treatments.5
What We Hope to Learn
The research team is focused on advancing CAR T-cell therapy beyond its current use, which is restricted to patients whose cancer has fully come back after standard treatment. The ALPHA3 study is exploring whether this approach can be used earlier – after patients have completed treatment but have been identified as being at higher risk of their cancer returning.
Knowing early if you are among those whose treatment has likely cured your cancer – or whether you may be amongst the approximately 1 in 3 patients whose cancer returns – may empower you and your caregivers to make more informed decisions about your care journey.
What It Is
B-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, makes up about 85% of the non-Hodgkin lymphomas in the United States. These types of lymphomas start in white blood cells called B cells. In this kind of cancer, the abnormal B cells begin to multiply uncontrollably and form tumors, often in lymph nodes, which are part of the immune system.
How Is It Treated?
Your treatment depends on the type of lymphoma, where it is in your body, your age, and your overall health. For newly diagnosed patients, treatment options include chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, and radiation. Most patients with B-cell lymphoma experience a significant reduction or complete elimination of detectable cancer (also called remission) after treatment.
At this point, patients may enter a “watch and wait” period, during which they are monitored for signs that the cancer has returned, and further treatment is given only if needed. This period of observation lasts years and is often a stressful time for patients. New tools, such as investigational MRD (minimal residual disease) tests, may help ease this anxiety by providing more information about the likelihood of your cancer coming back.
Approximately 1 in 3 patients who achieve a remission after treatment will have their cancer return, usually within the first year after treatment. If the disease comes back, treatment options include stem cell transplant, targeted therapies, and CAR T-cell therapy, amongst others4. As the disease progresses, treatment options become more limited. Many turn to clinical studies and investigational therapies. Unfortunately, some patients whose cancer returns will not be able to receive the most powerful treatments available, like CAR T-cell therapy, due to reasons such as not meeting eligibility criteria or not having access to available treatments.5
What We Hope To Do
The research team is focused on advancing CAR T-cell therapy beyond its current use, which is restricted to patients whose cancer has fully come back after standard treatment. The ALPHA3 study is exploring whether this approach can be used earlier – after patients have completed treatment but have been identified as being at higher risk of their cancer returning.
Knowing early if you are among those whose treatment has likely cured your cancer – or whether you may be amongst the approximately 1 in 3 patients whose cancer returns – may empower you and your caregivers to make more informed decisions about your care journey.
Who Can Participate?
To be eligible for the MRD screening test in the ALPHA3 clinical study, you must meet the following key qualifications:
- Aged 18 or older
- Have a recent diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or a similar type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma as confirmed by your doctor
- You are scheduled to begin or are currently undergoing standard treatment with chemotherapy (or have recently finished treatment within approximately the last month)
How Does This Screening Test Work?
The investigational MRD test is a simple blood test designed to detect small amounts of cancer that remain in your body after treatment, at levels so low they can’t be detected by standard scans. If it is found, it is referred to as MRD positive (MRD+) and may be an early indicator that you are at risk of having your cancer come back in the future. If your MRD test is negative (MRD-), it means that no residual cancer is detected, and research indicates that your cancer is unlikely to return.6
Knowing your MRD status, whether positive or negative, may help ease the anxiety of the unknown. Those who test MRD+ may then be eligible to join the main portion of the ALPHA3 clinical study, in which early treatment with a single dose of an investigational CAR T-cell product called cemacabtagene ansegedleucel (or “cema-cel,” pronounced “SEM-a-sell”) may help eliminate the remaining cancer cells in the body and potentially prevent your cancer from returning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the symptoms of Large B-Cell Lymphoma?
- Swollen lymph nodes or abdominal swelling and discomfort
- Night sweats
- Significant unintended weight loss
- Unexplained and persistent fever
- Persistent severe fatigue
What will happen during the study?
The ALPHA3 clinical study has two steps. First, doctors will run the investigational MRD test to check if you still have small amounts of cancer in your body at levels too small to be seen on a standard scan. If the test shows that you are MRD-, there may be a lower chance of your cancer coming back.6
However, if you test MRD+, research shows that there is a greater chance your cancer will come back, usually within the first year after treatment. The second step in the ALPHA3 clinical study examines if early treatment with a single dose of an investigational CAR T-cell product called cemacabtagene ansegedleucel (or “cema-cel,” pronounced “SEM-a-sell”) may help prevent your cancer from returning.
Are there any costs to participate in this study?
For eligible patients who participate in part one of the study, the investigational MRD test will be provided at no cost. For qualified patients who participate in part two of the ALPHA3 study and subsequently enroll into the treatment arm, the investigational CAR T-cell product (cema-cel) and study procedures that are not part of your standard of care will be provided at no cost. The study team will explain to you and your caregiver what the study pays for and what you or your insurance may need to pay for. Financial assistance for travel necessary to undergo testing may also be provided to eligible study participants. Talk to the study team at your treatment location for more information.
1. Tilly H, Morschhauser F, Sehn LH, et al. Polatuzumab vedotin in previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. N Engl J Med. 2022;386(4):351-363. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2115304. LINK
2. Chen H, Zhao J, Zhao D, Wang W, Wei C, Wang Z, Zhou D, Zhang W. Lymphoma relapse 1 year or later after immunochemotherapy in DLBCL patients: clinical features and outcome. Clin Exp Med. 2024 Mar 1;24(1):48. doi: 10.1007/s10238-024-01306-2. PMID: 38427082; PMCID: PMC10907456. LINK
3. American Cancer Society. Types of B-cell Lymphoma. LINK
4. American Cancer Society. Treating B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. LINK
5. García-Sancho AM, Cabero A, Gutiérrez NC. Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: New Approved Options. J Clin Med. 2023 Dec 22;13(1):70. doi: 10.3390/jcm13010070. PMID: 38202077; PMCID: PMC10779497. LINK
6. Kurtz, et.al. Circulating Tumor DNA Measurements as Early Outcome Predictors in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. JCO 2018.
7. Cleveland Clinic. B-Cell Lymphoma. LINK
Still Have Questions?
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