Short answer:
CAR T-cell therapy can produce very long, sometimes curative-like remissions in certain leukemias — especially relapsed/refractory B-cell ALL — but it does not reliably cure every patient, and relapse still occurs. That’s why doctors usually speak about remission, not guaranteed cure.

Cure vs. Remission

    Remission = little to no detectable cancer.
    Complete remission means no evidence of disease on current tests, but relapse remains possible.
    Cure = no signs of cancer for many years and an extremely low likelihood of it ever returning.
    With CAR T, many patients achieve remission. A subset experience very long-term remission that may be considered a functional cure — but cautiously.
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What Is CAR T-Cell Therapy?

CAR T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy) is a personalized immunotherapy:

  1. A patient’s T cells are collected.
  2. They are genetically engineered to recognize a leukemia marker (often CD19 in B-cell leukemias).
  3. The cells are expanded in the lab.
  4. They are reinfused to attack the cancer.

Approved commercial products targeting CD19 include Kymriah and Tecartus.

What CAR T Can Achieve in Different Leukemias:

B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL)

This is where CAR T has been most dramatic.

  • In pediatric and young adult relapsed/refractory B-ALL, CD19 CAR T (tisagenlecleucel) induces remission in about 80% of patients in trials.
  • Many had failed chemotherapy before CAR T.
  • Some patients remain leukemia-free for many years.

In this setting, CAR T can absolutely clear disease — and in a proportion of patients, long-term remission may be functionally equivalent to cure.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

CLL results are more variable.

  • Early CAR T patients have shown CAR T cells persisting for 10+ years with ongoing complete remission.
  • This demonstrates that extremely durable control — close to curative — is possible in some individuals.
  • Registry and cohort data describe “very long remissions” especially in patients who remain progression-free at 1 year.

However, doctors still describe this as durable remission, not guaranteed cure for everyone.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

CAR T for AML is still experimental. Why?

  • AML targets overlap with healthy bone marrow cells.
  • Targeting them risks damaging normal blood production.

Research is ongoing, but AML is not yet a reliable curative setting for CAR T.


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How Often Is CAR T Truly “Curative”?

Although lymphoma is not leukemia, it uses the same CD19 CAR concept and gives insight into long-term durability.
In aggressive B-cell lymphomas:

  • About 40% of patients may be effectively cured at 7-year follow-up.
  • Around two-thirds achieve complete remission initially.
  • Roughly half remain relapse-free at 1 year.

This shows that deep responses can translate into long-term disease-free survival — but relapse still affects a significant fraction.
For leukemia, the pattern is similar:

  • High initial remission rates
  • A subset with long-term disease-free survival
  • But not universal cure

Why CAR T Doesn’t Cure Everyone

Several biological reasons:

  1. Antigen Escape
    Leukemia cells may lose the target (e.g., become CD19-negative), leading to relapse.
  2. CAR T-Cell Quality & Persistence
    Not all patients’ engineered T cells persist long term. High exhaustion markers such as: LAG-3, TIM-3 are associated with lower response rates and earlier relapse.
  3. Tumor Biology
    Some leukemias have resistant subclones that survive initial treatment.

IMPORTANT:
Do not guess whether your disease can be treated with CAR-T therapy. Eligibility depends on many factors — and these criteria continue to evolve as research advances. Submit your medical documents to us for review. A senior hematology doctor will carefully assess your case, and we will provide an answer that reflects the most accurate medical guidance available today.


Initiating Your Medical Inquiry >>



Publication date: Feb 26, 2026.

Sources:
The journey to CAR T cell therapy: the pediatric and young adult experience with relapsed or refractory B-ALL
Remission vs. Cure in Cancer: What’s the Difference?
Study reveals new details about decade-long persistence of personalized ‘living drug’ cells
Early Relapsed DLBCL Outcomes Have Changed Drastically Due to CAR T
Treatment strategies for relapse after CAR T-cell therapy in B cell lymphoma
Study reveals new details about decade-long persistence of personalized ‘living drug’ cells