Two quick links to YouTube videos noting advancements in treatments for Mantel Cell Lymphoma (MCL) and further below: Article @ cancer.org on FDA's approval of IBRUTINIB (which is taken by mouth once-per-day, and so far, side effects have been less severe than for most standard chemotherapy drugs.)
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Promising
Advances in Treating Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Published on Aug 27, 2013
Mantle cell lymphoma
can be a challenging disease to treat, especially since most people are
diagnosed once the disease has spread throughout the body. What are the latest
approaches to treating this disease and how do treatment options vary between
age groups? Dr. Jeff Sharman, a mantle cell lymphoma expert from Willamette
Valley Cancer Institute and Research Center, explains the latest treatment
advances and what they means for patients.
Mantel Cell Lymphoma (MCL)
(Case Studies)
Presentation by: Myron S.
Czuczman, MD
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Buffalo, New York, USA
Published on Apr 28, 2015
Since recognition of
MCL as a unique lymphoma entity over 25 years ago, significant progress has
been made in uncovering molecular and cellular pathophysiology, examining the
clinical spectrum of disease, and in defining and refining effective treatment approaches.
While several therapeutic agents are safe and effective for
recurrent/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (R/R MCL), challenges remain in
establishing the most effective approaches for optimizing consolidation and
maintenance strategies. To address these challenges, this activity is a
case-based exploration of evidence-based practices for managing R/R MCL.
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FDA
Approves Ibrutinib for Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Article
date: November 14, 2013
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ibrutinib
(Imbruvica) to treat some people with mantle
cell lymphoma. The drug is intended for patients who have stopped
responding to treatment, or whose cancer has come back after treatment.
Ibrutinib was granted “breakthrough therapy” status, which qualified it for
faster FDA review.
“Imbruvica’s
approval demonstrates the FDA’s commitment to making treatments available to
patients with rare diseases,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the Office
of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and
Research, in a statement. “The agency worked cooperatively with the companies
to expedite the drug’s development, review and approval, reflecting the promise
of the Breakthrough Therapy Designation program.”
Ibrutinib is a type of targeted
therapy that works by
interrupting certain parts of the cellular changes and signals that are needed
for a cancer to develop and keep growing. Ibrutinib is taken by mouth once a day.
So far side effects have been less severe than for most standard chemotherapy
drugs.
Mantle
cell lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in white blood cells called
lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system. Lymphocytes are in the
lymph nodes and other lymphoid tissues. Mantle cell lymphoma is usually
widespread at the time it is diagnosed, and it often doesn’t respond well to
treatment. A new drug to treat it is significant, because there are few other
effective treatments currently available.
Approval
was based on a study of 111 mantle cell lymphoma patients whose disease had
come back or was no longer responding to other treatments. Of the patients
studied, 75 of them responded to ibrutinib, meaning the lymphoma shrank. The
responses lasted for an average 17 months. Of these patients, 23 had a
complete response, meaning all signs of the cancer disappeared. The most common
side effects were mild or moderate diarrhea, fatigue, and nausea.
Ibrutinib
is marketed by Pharmacyclics and Biotech, Inc.
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