Rhythm and Conduction Disorders in Patients Receiving Ibrutinib

Aim. Early diagnosis and treatment of rhythm and conduction disorders in patients receiving ibrutinib. Materials & Methods. The trial included 206 patients with indications for ibrutinib, 193 of them are at different stages of treatment from 1.5 to 51 months. The trial enrolled the patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, mantle cell lymphoma, and Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia, aged 59 to 72 years (with median age of 66 years): 70 women aged 54 to 71 years (with median age of 64 years), and 123 men aged 60 to 72 years (with median age of 66 years). For early detection of rhythm and conduction disorders all the patients received ECG monitoring and 24-hour Holter ECG monitoring. Results. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was identified in 21 (12 %) patients during ibrutinib therapy period of 1 to 24 months. Most often AF is registered within the first 6 months of ibrutinib therapy. Before its administration 18 (10.5 %) patients had history of prior AF. Thus, a total of 39 ibrutinib recipients with AF are followed-up. According to CHA2DS2-VASc 27 (69 %) of them have an indication for anticoagulant treatment. Severe atrioventricular block was diagnosed in 2 (1 %) patients that necessitated a pacemaker. In 2 (1 %) female patients severe supraventricular tachycardia with up to 295 BPM was registered which required ablation. In a patient with permanent atrial fibrillation rhythm pauses were identified and a pacemaker was installed. Conclusion. The presence of AF in ibrutinib recipients is not a withdrawal criterion and does not require ibrutinib therapy to be discontinued. Anticoagulants were administered to patients with AF according to existing guidelines in compliance with CHA2DS2-VASc which had to be approached with caution and required dynamic monitoring of patients. Severe rhythm and conduction disorders in ibrutinib recipients arise in rare cases (2 %). Such patients require cardiac surgery with subsequent ibrutinib treatment without dose reduction. Timely diagnosis and the correction of rhythm and conduction allow to avoid changing of antitumor therapy plan.