Dr. Wang on Adverse Effects of BTK Inhibitors in MCL

Michael Wang, MD, professor, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, founding and current director, Mantle Cell Lymphoma Program of Excellence, professor, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Division of Cancer Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses adverse effects (AEs) associated with BTK inhibitors in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

A common AE tied to the use of BTK inhibitors is bleeding, Wang says. Similar to aspirin, BTK inhibitors can produce bleeding as an AE in up to half of this patient population administered this treatment, Wang says.

However, unless a patient experiences trauma, bleeding is rarely a severe AE associated with the use of BTK inhibitors in patients with MCL, Wang continues. Though severe bleeding AEs are rare, head trauma could result in intracranial bleeding, leading to intracranial hemorrhage and death, Wang concludes.