Ibrutininb appears to be the most promising drug we have seen in Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia and will likely significantly change the therapeutic landscape,” according to Bruce Cheson, MD, Deputy Chief, Hematology-Oncology and Head of Hematology Research at Georgetown Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, DC.

“The situation in [diffuse large B-cell lymphoma] is a bit more complicated,” he noted. “Ibrutinib has activity in one subtype of the disease—activated B-cell–type—but minimal activity in the other [non–germinal-center B-cell–type]. Even in the former, there are different mutations that respond more favorably than others. Certainly, not all [diffuse large B-cell lymphomas] are created equal. This clearly pushes the case for personalized therapeutic strategies.”

Disclosure: Dr. Cheson reported no potential conflicts of interest.