CAR-T
therapy
in China

Vladimir, 52 yo

I was diagnosed in February 2024 in Tbilisi, where I went for medical tests. My reaction was shock, then despair and fear.

TREATMENT INITIATION

I received treatment in Moscow, completing 4 chemotherapy cycles. After the first two cycles, the tumor finally shrank. My doctors insisted on two more rounds. We did the PET-CT scan after all 4 cycles.
Then it showed the tumor had actually grown.

Then they scheduled surgery—I was told that if they could remove the tumor completely, that would be ideal, but if not, they’d at least collect tissue for another biopsy.

"In the end, they removed half of the tumor and said I needed some genetic test. They ran the analysis and told me I had some mutation.

Then came the terrible moment: my doctor said further chemotherapy wouldn’t work and told me about CAR-T therapy. There was no other option left for me. This was my last chance.

We learned that this therapy is available either in Israel or China.

We contacted Boren Hospital in Beijing and submitted all medical records. They invited me for treatment and issued a $100,000 invoice.

We scraped together the money by every means possible—family and friends helped tremendously, and after starting a fundraiser, a charity foundation ultimately covered the costs.

TREATMENT IN CHINA

I was very impressed with the treatment itself—the doctors were highly skilled and exceptionally attentive. The hospital was modern, with excellent facilities, and everything was clean and well-organized.

We spent 2 months in China. It was terrifying—what if the treatment failed? But the incredible joy when it worked!

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

Doctors instructed me to eat only healthy, cooked foods, avoid crowded places, and limit contact with children.

Now I need to get checked every three months for the next 2 years. I feel fine at the moment.

Overall, I’m in good spirits and feeling determined.

Gulnara, 58 yo

Gulnara is not yet sixty and she has multiple myeloma, a blood cancer. Chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant—all already tried—only provided temporary relief for a couple of years. The only definitive solution for her myeloma is CAR-T, a revolutionary treatment where the patient's own immune cells are modified to recognize and destroy cancer cells. But this is available in America, Europe, and China—with China being the most affordable. In Russia, such treatments are just beginning, and not for Gulnara.

Five years ago in Ufa, Gulnara stood at the entrance to her office, where she worked as an accountant, unable to open the door. The day before, she had suffered what felt like a stroke, and now her back hurt so badly that even pulling the door handle sent unbearable pain shooting through her body from her knees to her neck..

--Why are you just standing there?-- chirped a young coworker, also rushing to work.

-- My back hurts—I can’t open the door.

-- You just don’t eat well,-- the coworker replied, seemingly envious of Gulnara’s slim figure. --You need to eat properly, then your back won’t hurt.--And she opened the door.

No one took Gulnara’s condition seriously—not her coworkers, not even the doctors. A neurologist at the clinic said back pain was common, that everyone had osteochondrosis, and she just needed to endure it. The head of the clinic refused to speak with her at all. Gulnara paid for her own PET/CT scan and begged for an oncologist referral through connections. To her credit, when cancer cells were found in Gulnara’s blood, the neurologist apologized for dismissing her as a hypochondriac and helped secure a referral to Moscow’s Hematology Center.

There, Gulnara underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant. The cancer went into remission. She calls those the two happiest years of her life.

To stay close to her doctors, Gulnara sold her apartment in Ufa and bought a small one-bedroom near the forest in Tushino. What joy it was to walk through the woods, breathe in the air, watch sunlight glint off pine trunks, ski without pain, listen to the snow crunch under her skis, or put on headphones and lose herself in an audiobook. Before her illness, she’d had no time to read anything but tax codes.

And the pool! For disabled individuals, it was free. For two years, Gulnara swam almost daily—until fatigue set in. A routine checkup confirmed the myeloma had returned. Cancer cells were back in her blood.

Things escalated quickly. Tumors spread through her body—hips (reducing her steps to five centimeters; a 90-minute shuffle from the hospital gates to the ward), jaw (making chewing impossible), mediastinum (leaving her struggling to breathe, even sitting painfully).

One day, her hematologist quietly confessed:

-- We can’t help you anymore. You need CAR-T in China.--Doctors rarely admit defeat so plainly

Gulnara had heard of CAR-T through patient forums, where others with myeloma spoke of surviving thanks to Beijing’s treatments. The clinic quoted $90,000—nearly 9 million rubles.

Gulnara, her brother, and her daughters emptied their savings and borrowed from friends but still fell short by 2.5 million. Her nephew paid for the taxi to the airport.

Traffic nearly made her miss her flight. The Domodedovo airport attendant pushing her wheelchair sprinted, reassuring her:

-- Don’t worry, I’ll hold the plane. You will make it to your treatment."

A special lift hoisted her onto the aircraft as the jet bridge retracted. The eight-hour flight was agony—just sitting hurt—but Gulnara repeated: Endure this. You’re flying toward life.

In Beijing, the clinic’s staff greeted her warmly. A hematologist spent three hours reviewing her case—more time than any doctor had ever given her. Tests were done swiftly. On March 24, they proposed a treatment plan. The charity Geography of Good helped cover costs.

During chemotherapy, Gulnara started a Telegram blog. Excerpts:

Day 16: After chemotherapy, the tumor on my head disappeared. The pain in my leg and shoulder blade has dulled to a mild ache. Based on this and my lab results, the doctor says the chemo worked. Every day, I get amino acid IV drips—they lift my mood and let me move around with a walker, pain-free. I call that progress! 😌

Then came radiation and the actual CAR-T therapy:

Day 41: First CAR-T infusion today. I feel expectant... and sleepy. Otherwise, nothing unusual—no fever, stable condition. The cells themselves were almost room temperature; I didn’t feel anything special. They covered me with sensors for the infusion and two hours after—I could move, eat, do everything normally, just couldn’t leave the bed. After monitoring, they gave me a chart to log my temperature every 3-4 hours. Tomorrow’s the second infusion. Wish me luck! Every kind thought helps. 🙏🏻

Day 42: Second CAR-T injection done!

Today, I kept thinking about the saying, "If you can’t change your circumstances, change your attitude." I’ve always been skeptical—what’s good about outright bad circumstances?

But today, I realized: no matter how much illness takes, it opens your eyes. I never expected so many people to rally for me. Strangers, unconnected to me or each other, came together to help. Maybe my story will inspire someone else to fight. Because help comes when you start fighting.

Day 46: You can’t imagine how wonderful it felt to wake up today—alive—after last night’s battle with fever and sleeplessness! I’m lying here as a playful sunbeam dances on my face, waking me up. Oh, what happiness! The nurse checked on me hourly overnight, monitoring my temperature and condition. How calming it is to be in capable hands.

Now, past the anxiety and uncertainty, I feel so much calmer. My God, I think—did I really go from reading about CAR-T online to actually receiving it? That journey is behind me now.

My story was shared on the Telegram channel "How It’s Treated." Had I known earlier that people wrote about CAR-T, I’d have had far less fear and indecision...

Day 63: Packed day today—leukocyte growth shot, red blood cell IV, blood draw, denosumab injection... so much!

Got the PET-CT report on paper. Overall, tumor size and activity have shrunk a lot (they were terrifying before)... but there’s still "room for improvement."

In theory, CAR-T cells keep attacking tumors during their lifespan, and the tumors actually stimulate the cells to multiply. As tumors shrink, so does the CAR-T expansion.

But for me, what matters is that they work 🙏—and that I recover, because any therapy is still stress. 😊 Tomorrow—I go home!

Gulnara’s blog: t.me/vmestedlyagulnary

In May 2025, she returned to Moscow under doctors’ supervision.

Valeriy, 56 yo

The story of Valeriy: the path from despair to hope

Valeriy is a patient from Russia with a diagnosis of B-lymphoblastic leukemia. After the second TCM, the disease returned again. Doctors at the local hospital informed him that there was almost no chance of a cure. It was a real blow: Valery was in despair and almost lost faith in recovery.

But he didn't give up.

While studying various treatment options, Valeriy learned about Dr. Zhao Defeng from the Beijing Clinic. After preliminary communication and a comprehensive assessment of the patient's condition, the team decided to take Valeriy for treatment.

«I thought they wouldn't accept me.… But Dr. Zhao's team supported me and gave me hope. It gave me the strength to fight on», — recalls Valeriy.

With the last hope of salvation, he, accompanied by his wife, traveled thousands of kilometers to receive CAR-T therapy in Beijing.

Severe condition and accurate diagnosis

After arriving at the clinic, Valery underwent a full examination. It turned out that the recurrence occurred not only in the bone marrow, but also in the cerebrospinal fluid — this meant an extremely severe form of the disease, with central and bone marrow lesions. In addition, the BCR-ABL1 gene was identified, which was not detected at the initial diagnosis.

Thanks to highly accurate genetic analysis, the hospital team was able to create a personalized treatment plan adapted to Valeriy's current condition.

«The patient was admitted in serious condition with anemia, low platelet count, and high tumor burden. He has already undergone two transplants, and it was a difficult ordeal both physically and psychologically», — says Dr. Zhao.

After talking with the patient, the team explained that there is hope for achieving remission with CAR-T therapy. This was the beginning of the road to recovery, both physically and emotionally.

Therapy and result

To begin treatment, donor cells were used, on the basis of which CD19 CAR-T cells were prepared. Despite the development of cytokine release syndrome (fever and skin rash), the complications were quickly treated with medication.

«After the second relapse in Russia, I felt like I was standing on the edge. But thanks to the treatment and the support of Dr. Zhao's team, I have regained my confidence. I am grateful to everyone who helped me — now I believe in life again», — says Valeriy.

Before discharge, bone marrow puncture showed deep remission — the BCR-ABL1 gene was not detected. The tumor cells disappeared from the cerebrospinal fluid, and the level of leukocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets almost returned to normal. The disease has receded.

As a sign of gratitude, Valeriy and his wife made a personalized silk banner and presented it to the clinic team personally.

«This journey touched me to the depths of my soul. Thanks to Dr. Zhao's team, I can live and work again. Next time, I hope to come to China not for medical treatment, but just for a trip with my family!"» — says Valeriy with a smile.

Vladislav, 26 yo

Victory Over Lymphoma: How CAR-T Therapy in China Helped a 26-Year-Old Russian Defeat an Aggressive Cancer

In early 2024, 26-year-old Vladislav from Russia was diagnosed with primary mediastinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL)—a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that primarily affects young patients. The disease progressed rapidly despite multiple lines of therapy in Russia, including R-EPOCH, R-DHAP, and experimental regimens. Tumor growth in the mediastinum and metastases in the liver and kidneys indicated that standard protocols had failed.

When local doctors declared further treatment futile, Vladislav’s family turned to a leading Beijing hematology center—one of Asia’s top facilities. He was urgently hospitalized and underwent comprehensive diagnostics, including PET-CT, bone marrow biopsy, and lumbar puncture. CT scans revealed multiple metabolically active lesions: lymph nodes above and below the diaphragm, an enlarged mediastinal mass, and metastases in the liver and left kidney.

Treatment Strategy: Bridging Therapy and CAR-T

Vladislav was offered an innovative approach—personalized bridging therapy to reduce tumor burden before CAR-T infusion. The first step combined polatuzumab vedotin (POLA), methotrexate, and obeticholic acid. Within a week, CT scans showed significant tumor shrinkage. Targeted radiation to the liver and kidney further reduced the cancer’s spread.

CAR-T and Immune Response Control

After preconditioning with FC (fludarabine + cyclophosphamide), dual-target CAR-T cells (CD19/CD22) were infused on April 14, 2025. To enhance efficacy, PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors were added.

Surprisingly, Vladislav tolerated treatment well, experiencing only mild cytokine release syndrome (CRS grade 1) and no neurotoxicity. By May, PET-CT confirmed complete metabolic remission (Deauville score 1)—no detectable cancer activity.

More Than Treatment—Compassionate Care

Vladislav emphasizes that his recovery began not with drugs but with empathy. Met at the airport, escorted to his room, and guided through each step, he received 24/7 translation support and transparent financial planning. At discharge, his doctor’s handwritten note—a gesture absent in his home country—touched him deeply.

«I’d nearly given up. Here, they restored not just my health but my will to live», — Vladislav shared.

Doctor’s comment

Dr. Zhang Wei, Deputy Director of the Lymphoma and Myeloma Center, noted:

«This case showcases modern Chinese medicine’s potential. By combining CAR-T bioengineering, precision bridging therapy, and patient-centered care, we achieved remission in a ‘hopeless’ case».