Combination of ibrutinib and venetoclax followed by Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy in the first line of treatment in an elderly patient with mantle cell lymphoma with hyperleukocytosis and mutation in the TP53 gene

Introduction. The tactics of therapy for elderly comorbid patients with mantle cell lymphoma with unfavorable prognosis factors (complex karyotype, 17p13 deletion, mutations in the TP53 gene) have not been developed. The use of intensive chemotherapy regimens and transplantation of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells (allo-HSCT) is impossible due to severe comorbidity in elderly patients. A rational approach is the use of a combination of ibrutinib and venetoclax. As an alternative to allo-HSCT, a new option for elderly patients with poor prognostic factors is Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) cell therapy.

Aim — to present the experience of using ibrutinib and venetoclax with CAR-T-cell therapy in the first line of treatment in an elderly patient with MCL with a mutation in the TP53 gene and hyperleukocytosis.

Main findings. Patient M., 68 years old. The examination revealed hyperleukocytosis 978 × 10⁹/L, anemia (55 g/L), thrombocytopenia (30 × 10⁹/L), and splenomegaly 250 × 180 mm. According to the results of laboratory studies, the diagnosis of lymphoma from mantle cells with a complex karyotype, deletion 17p13, 13q14 and mutation p.R248W in exon 7 of the TP53 gene (VAF = 26 %) was verified. For cytoreductive purposes, two sessions of leukocytapheresis and prephase with cyclophosphamide (200 mg/m²) and dexamethasone (10 mg/m²) were performed. From day 3, therapy with ibrutinib 420 mg/day and venetoclax 100 mg/day was started. After 2 days, the leukocytes were 0.7 × 10⁹/L, and the size of the spleen decreased, as a result of which the development of tumor lysis syndrome was noted. As a result of intensive therapy, the patient’s condition stabilized, which allowed him to resume treatment. After 7 days, the number of leukocytes was 2.5 × 10⁹/L, neutrophils — 70 %, platelets — 90 × 10⁹/L, hemoglobin — 95 g/L. According to immunophenotyping, the population of B-lymphocytes was 4 %. According to NGS data, the allelic load of the mutation in the TP53 gene is 0.8 %. The patient underwent anti-CD19 CAR-T-cell therapy and achieved complete remission. Three months after therapy, MRD remains-negative remission and the persistence of CAR-T cells is determined.

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