John N. Allan, MD, on the Impact of First-Line Ibrutinib in Patients with CLL, TP53 Aberrations

With 4-years of follow-up, researchers presented on the long-term efficacy of first-line ibrutinib (Imbruvica) treatment in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and TP53 aberrations (del[17p] or TP53 mutation).

This pooled analysis from 4 clinical trials, presented at the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, suggested that though patients with TP53 aberrations remain at risk for progression, first-line treatment with ibrutinib has meaningfully improved the poor prognosis in this high-risk population.

In an interview with CancerNetwork®, John N. Allan, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine, discussed what he believes this study affords to both health care providers and patients.

Transcription:

Yeah, I think it's… difficult to say how this might impact because we have so many great therapies now for patients. Though, what this study does provide is some confidence in providers as well as in patients that if ibrutinib is used as the frontline treatment for these high risk-patients that we can expect a pretty good outcome for those patients long term.

And you know, this is a 4-year follow up. This is some of the longest follow up that's been done in these high-risk patients, 17p deleted patients, treated with targeted agents in the frontline setting, and so it gives some certainty and confidence and to what to expect and provides a great option for patients when they're considering their multiple options that they might have on the table for their treatment in this specific high-risk group.

Reference:

Allan JN, Shanafelt T, Wiestner A, et al. Long-Term Efficacy of First-Line Ibrutinib Treatment for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) With 4 Years of Follow-Up in Patients With TP53 Aberrations (del(17p) or TP53 Mutation): A Pooled Analysis From 4 Clinical Trials. Presented at the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting. Poster 2219.