Lymphoma Treatment Breakthrough: Evens & Rhodes Discuss CLL and CAR-T
Lymphoma care is changing across New Jersey, where a 17-hospital oncology network aims to bring world-class treatment to patients’ doorsteps rather than requiring long drives to academic centers. The initiative involves a unique blend of clinical expertise and business strategy. According to the episode of “The Moonlight Shift” featuring Dr. Andrew Evens and Dr. Joanna Rhodes, the shift focuses on logistical accessibility as much as the drugs themselves.
Bringing Care Closer to Home
The core philosophy driving this initiative is that “cancer doesn’t travel well.” Evens describes a system spanning 17 hospitals with nearly 300 oncologists and 150 nurse practitioners. The goal is to ensure a patient in Toms River does not need to drive 90 minutes to New Brunswick for every visit. This operational standard is put to the test in the episode’s narrative.
A patient with mantle cell lymphoma drove an hour and a half to enroll in a new immunotherapy trial. The trial opened at her local center just ten days later. This rapid expansion of community sites highlights how the network operates. Evens emphasizes that keeping care close to home is not just aspirational language. It is the standard for the nearly 9 million residents of New Jersey.
The network is weeks away from opening CAR-T therapy at two community sites, including Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch. This expansion addresses the “access question” for relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma. Rhodes argues that bispecifics will fill a critical gap for patients who cannot reach a CAR-T center. Evens expresses hope for off-the-shelf CAR-T options that would allow for community administration.
Shared Decision Making in CLL Treatment
Rhodes notes that the current treatment environment is “the epitome of shared decision making.” The selection process now prioritizes patient preference, financial toxicity, and side effect profiles rather than efficacy alone. Rhodes recalls a panel discussion where she explained choosing medications based on side effects. Her colleagues from sarcoma and pancreatic cancer specialties looked at her with jealousy.
This shift allows doctors to tailor regimens to individual needs, balancing clinical outcomes with quality of life. Evens and Rhodes agree that the question is no longer “which is better” but rather “who can actually get there.”
Business Strategy Meets Clinical Care
Dr. Evens took a non-traditional path to his current role. Before the pandemic, he intentionally sunset his translational research lab to pursue an executive MBA at Rutgers. He realized that his clinical training did not provide the financial, business, and supply chain literacy required to get treatments to patients at scale.
“You could have the greatest treatments, but if you can’t get it to them wherever they are in their community — it takes all the way to the end,” Evens said. The MBA became the infrastructure solution to a clinical problem. By integrating business operations with oncology, the group aims to ensure that logistical barriers do not prevent patients from receiving cutting-edge care.
The conversation concludes with a final prompt: “A lymphoma patient in New Jersey gets care equivalent to what they’d receive at a major academic institution elsewhere.” Both experts answered without hesitation that they 100% agree. This indicates that the network has successfully aligned local care with the high standards of academic medicine.
Dr. Evens suggests that the team must consider how a patient’s daily routine impacts their health. A healthy diet supports the body’s ability to recover from illness. [1]Best foods to boost your energy naturally can help maintain the stamina needed for treatment.
Rhodes mentions that the variety of therapies available changes the way patients approach their daily lives. Staying active and engaged is often a key part of coping with a serious diagnosis. [2]How table tennis boosts your mood offers a simple way to improve mental well-being.
