This video webinar was presented by Dr. Andrew Branagan on September 15, 2021 as part of the IWMF's ongoing series of Ed Forum Workshops.

Approximately 30% of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia patients are advised to "watch and wait" at time of diagnosis. When should a patient seek treatment?

As a follow-up to our recent announcement regarding the FDA approval of Zanabrutinib for the treatment of Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia (Sept 2, 2021), we are pleased to share this lecture, presented as a webinar on September 24, 2021 by Dr. Steven Treon.

Dana-Farber has been named one of the world’s best cancer hospitals by Newsweek in its new World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2022 rankings. Dana-Farber was ranked #3 globally. We are the only hospital in New England to be ranked in the top 15 for oncology.

“The ASPEN trial provided compelling evidence that Brukinsa is a highly active BTK inhibitor in Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, and compared to the first-generation BTK inhibitor, showed improved tolerability across a number of clinically important side effects. The approval of BRUKINSA provides an important new option for targeted therapy in Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia,” Steven Treon, MD, PhD, director of the Bing Center for Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia Research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in a statement.

This Blood Cancer Conference is one of many programs developed by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to meet the needs of patients, survivors, families and oncology professionals, the people who deal with blood cancer every day and the people who care for them. BCC attendees receive the most current information and access to local resources to help navigate and make informed decisions about their treatment and survivorship.

The International Myeloma Workshop is the defining annual meeting in myeloma with a focus on both the basic, preclinical and the clinical aspects, including: Scientific Programs, Oral Presentations (on Basic Biology, Preclinical Trials and Clinical Studies), Consensus Panels, Poster Presentations.

The NCCN Guidelines Version 1.2022 Waldenström Macroglobulinemia/Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma (WM/LPL) were updated to include zanubrutinib as a preferred regimen for the primary therapy of WM/LPL along with bendamustine/rituximab, bortezomib/dexamethasone/rituximab, ibrutinib ± rituximab, and rituximab/cyclophosphamide/dexamethasone. Preferred interventions are based on superior efficacy, safety, and evidence.

“We are looking at how cancer cells from patients who may not seem connected clinically may be utilizing the same networks through different mechanisms,” explains Zachary Hunter, PhD, one of the project’s leaders.

This article reviews the pharmacology, clinical efficacy, safety, dosing, drug-drug interactions, and implications for advanced practitioners of BTK inhibitors in the treatment of B-cell malignancies.