Dr. Wang on Managing AEs Related to BTK Inhibitors

Michael Wang, MD, professor in the Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses how to manage adverse events (AEs) related to BTK inhibitors in the treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

A common AE related to BTK inhibition is atrial fibrillation. Wang says the heart is the most dynamic organ in the body, beating at a rate of 80 times per minute. Any slight interference with the heart’s function can cause a person to lose consciousness, and it can become fatal. Atrial fibrillation is something that needs to be treated effectively and aggressively. About 4% to 10% of patients with MCL who are treated with ibrutinib (Imbruvica) will develop atrial fibrillation, Wang says.

Whenever the slightest sign of atrial fibrillation arises, Wang says he stops BTK inhibition immediately and sends the patient to a cardiologist. He concludes that more work needs to be done to catch this condition earlier.