Outcomes of Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated With Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (BTKi): A Retrospective Study From a Tertiary Healthcare Center in North India.
5 affiliations
- 1Hematology and Oncology/Clinical Hematology, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, IND.
- 2Medical Oncology, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, IND.
- 3Clinical Hematology, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, IND.
- 4Hematology and Oncology/Clinical Hematology, Hind Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, IND.
- 5Statistics, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, IND.
Abstract
Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) are a pivotal advancement in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, their adoption faces challenges such as high discontinuation rates caused by adverse events like cardiac and hematologic toxicities and a significant financial burden. Our study aims to evaluate the clinical spectrum and outcomes of patients with CLL receiving BTKi therapy in India. The objectives are to evaluate progression-free survival and overall survival in CLL patients on BTKi and to assess the BTKi toxicity profile. This retrospective, single-center study analyzed data from 41 patients with CLL treated with BTKi between January 2019 and November 2024. Twenty-five male patients and 16 female patients were evaluated, with a median age of 64 years (range 42-90). Twelve patients (29.2%) had no cytogenetic abnormalities, while 29 (70.7%) had at least one abnormality; 13q deletion was the most common. BTKi was used as first-line therapy in 29 patients (70.7%), with acalabrutinib being the most commonly used agent, administered to 17 (58.6%) patients. Cardiac events were observed in 8 (19.5%) patients, including hypertension in four (9.7%) and atrial fibrillation in two (4.9%). Gastrointestinal adverse events were noted in 7 (17%) patients. One patient had Richter transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. At a median follow-up of 24 months, progression-free survival was 80% and overall survival was 95%. BTKi therapy is effective and well tolerated in Indian CLL patients, but early discontinuation highlights the need for improved adherence strategies.
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BibTeX
@article{shukla2026outcomes,
title = {{Outcomes of Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated With Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (BTKi): A Retrospective Study From a Tertiary Healthcare Center in North India.}},
author = {Alpika Shukla and Amit Pandey and Shailendra P Verma and Swasti Sinha and Anil Tripathi and Neha Shukla and Gaurav Dutta and P Raghuveer},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.7759/cureus.117629},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999795},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Outcomes of Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated With Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (BTKi): A Retrospective Study From a Tertiary Healthcare Center in North India.
AU - Alpika Shukla
AU - Amit Pandey
AU - Shailendra P Verma
AU - Swasti Sinha
AU - Anil Tripathi
AU - Neha Shukla
AU - Gaurav Dutta
AU - P Raghuveer
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Cureus
DO - 10.7759/cureus.117629
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999795
AB - Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) are a pivotal advancement in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, their adoption faces challenges such as high discontinuation rates caused by adverse events like cardiac and hematologic toxicities and a significant financial burden. Our study aims to evaluate the clinical spectrum and outcomes of patients with CLL receiving BTKi therapy in India. The objectives are to evaluate progression-free survival and overall survival in CLL patients on BTKi and to assess the BTKi toxicity profile. This retrospective, single-center study analyzed data from 41 patients with CLL treated with BTKi between January 2019 and November 2024. Twenty-five male patients and 16 female patients were evaluated, with a median age of 64 years (range 42-90). Twelve patients (29.2%) had no cytogenetic abnormalities, while 29 (70.7%) had at least one abnormality; 13q deletion was the most common. BTKi was used as first-line therapy in 29 patients (70.7%), with acalabrutinib being the most commonly used agent, administered to 17 (58.6%) patients. Cardiac events were observed in 8 (19.5%) patients, including hypertension in four (9.7%) and atrial fibrillation in two (4.9%). Gastrointestinal adverse events were noted in 7 (17%) patients. One patient had Richter transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. At a median follow-up of 24 months, progression-free survival was 80% and overall survival was 95%. BTKi therapy is effective and well tolerated in Indian CLL patients, but early discontinuation highlights the need for improved adherence strategies.
SN - 2168-8184
ER -