Oncology nurse professionals play a central role in the care of patients with B-cell malignancies, including diseases such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). The nurse-patient partnership is particularly important as novel, orally administered agents, including the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor class of therapies, increasingly displace older, chemoimmunotherapy-based options. Although this transformation has substantially improved outcomes, several unmet medical needs have arisen in the wake of the many successes associated with the use of covalent BTK inhibitors. These challenges center on sequential care in the relapsed/refractory (R/R) disease setting. In addition, therapeutic intolerance and challenges involving adverse event management, BTK inhibitor resistance, and double-refractory status contribute to therapy interruption or discontinuation and abrogate clinical benefits associated with continued BTK inhibitor therapy, leading to subsequent care that is suboptimal due to a lack of effective treatment options.
This educational activity will assist oncology nurse professionals with providing optimal care in an era defined by the emergence of BTK inhibitor–based treatment, including approaches to supporting personalized sequential management plans with novel and emerging BTK inhibitors based on strong foundational knowledge of BTK inhibitor binding and selectivity profiles, safety differences among agents, and the potential adaptation of treatment plans to account for drug resistance and therapeutic intolerance associated with covalent BTK agents. In addition, nurse professionals will glean strategies to prepare to educate patients about the unique differentiation factors between covalent and non-covalent BTK inhibitors, along with the benefits and risks of therapy, while also addressing core areas of nursing competency—from dosing/administration, adherence, and side effect management considerations to issues arising from the experience of longer-term therapy.
In support of improving patient care, AXIS Medical Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
