East Bay Gets First CAR T Trial for Lymphoma Patients

A new cancer trial in the East Bay is offering hope to lymphoma patients before their disease has a chance to come back.

Sutter Health just enrolled its first patient in the ALPHA3 trial at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. The study tests whether CAR T cell therapy can eliminate tiny traces of cancer left behind after chemotherapy, stopping relapse before it starts.

The patient has large B cell lymphoma that appears to be in remission. But a simple blood test detected minimal residual disease, small amounts of cancer cells still hiding in the blood. About one in three lymphoma patients whose cancer goes into remission will see it return, usually within the first year.

"Patients with minimal residual disease often have few options beyond close monitoring despite a high risk of relapse," said Dr. Oleg Krijanovski, who founded Sutter Health's Cellular Therapy Program and leads the study. "This trial allows us to study whether earlier intervention with an off-the-shelf CAR T can improve outcomes."

CAR T cell therapy uses specially engineered immune cells to hunt down and destroy cancer. Unlike traditional CAR T treatments that require hospitalization at major academic centers, Sutter delivers the therapy in an outpatient setting. Patients can stay close to home and continue seeing the doctors they already know and trust.

The trial represents a shift in how doctors might treat cancer in the future. Instead of waiting for disease to show up on scans, they could attack it while it's still microscopic.

The Ripple Effect

Sutter is the only center in the East Bay offering this type of cellular therapy trial. That means patients who once would have needed to travel hours for treatment can now access it in their own community.

The expansion comes at a critical time. Cellular therapy has transformed treatment for blood cancers, but access remains limited by geography and infrastructure. Many patients who could benefit never receive these potentially life-saving treatments simply because they can't get to them.

By building outpatient programs and bringing clinical trials closer to home, Sutter is removing those barriers. The team coordinated efforts across clinical, research, and operational departments to make it happen.

"This milestone reflects Sutter Health's continued investment in expanding access to advanced cancer care," said Dr. Laura Crocitto, executive medical director of oncology services.

For East Bay patients facing high-risk lymphoma, the message is clear: the next generation of cancer treatment is arriving in their neighborhood.