Video

Dr. Shah and Dr. Wang on the Challenges of Managing High-Risk MCL

Bijal Shah, MD, MS, and Michael Wang, MD, discuss the challenges of managing high-risk mantle cell lymphoma.

Bijal Shah, MD, MS, associate member, Department of Malignant Hematology, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Michael Wang, MD, professor, Department of Lymphoma & Myeloma, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discuss the challenges of managing high-risk mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

High-risk MCL is characterized by blastoid or TP53 variants and can grow quickly, Shah explains. As such, identifying these patients early to ensure all potential treatment options are available for use is critical. For example, patients with high-risk disease who are not identified early may be ineligible for CAR T-cell therapy, which requires apheresis and bridging therapy, Shah says. Moreover, although indolent MCL may be actively monitored, high-risk MCL often requires aggressive treatment. 

Currently, a gap between referring community practices and academic practices exists because community practices may not be as familiar with identifying high-risk disease. As such, sharing knowledge of markers of high-risk disease and the differences between indolent and high-risk MCL is an important step to bridge that gap, Wang concludes. 

Related Videos
James J. Harding, MD, associate attending physician, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
J. Bradley Elder, MD
Rimas V. Lukas, MD
Adam E. Singer, MD, PhD, Health Sciences Clinical Instructor, medicine, division lead, kidney cancer, Division of Hematology/Oncology, UCLA Health
Diane Reidy-Lagunes, MD, vice chair, Oncology Operations, Regional Care Network, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Shubham Pant, MD, MBBS
Kevin Kalinsky, MD, MS, professor, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, director, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine; Louisa and Rand Glenn Family Chair in Breast Cancer Research, director, Glenn Family Breast Center, director, Breast Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Brett L. Ecker, MD
Benjamin Garmezy, MD, assistant director, Genitourinary Research, Sarah Cannon Research Institute
Yelena Y. Janjigian, MD, chief, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center