Dr. Wang Discusses the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory MCL

Michael Wang, MD, professor in the Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

MCL is one of the most important and exciting areas in the field of lymphoma, says Wang. There is no greater challenge than treating patients with relapsed/refractory disease, he adds, stating that it is often related to poor quality of life.

The treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory MCL has been historically difficult, with the only options being chemotherapy, Wang says. With the introduction of lenalidomide (Revlimid) in 2013, followed by the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib (Imbruvica), options are becoming greater and more targeted. In 2017, the field saw another BTK inhibitor approval with the addition of acalabrutinib (Calquence) as a treatment for adult patients with MCL following at least 1 prior therapy.

BTK inhibitors have marked the new era of MCL treatment, Wang says. The addition of these agents has added to the growing lymphoma treatment landscape, which Wang says is one of the most exciting fields in all oncology.