Ibrutinib-Associated Atrial Fibrillation: A Practical Approach

Abstract

Over the past decades there has been a significant reduction in cancer-related mortality thanks to the advances in screening, early detection, and treatment. Despite that, there is a growing awareness of the potential cardiovascular side effects of both traditional and novel anticancer drugs. Patients with lymphoid malignancies treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors are a population with a particularly high cardiovascular risk profile. Ibrutinib, a first-in-class irreversible oral inhibitor of Bruton tyrosine kinase, has proven to be highly effective in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and related B-cell malignancies. However, it is not always optimally administered in clinical practice due to a growing concern of the management of its potential cardiovascular side effects. The present article providesa multidisciplinary and practical approach to the prevention, monitoring and treatment of atrial fibrillation in patients with lymphoid malignancies treated with ibrutinib.