Acalabrutinib for the Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma

This phase II trial tests how well acalabrutinib works in treating patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and evaluates how treatment with acalabrutinib affects heart function. Acalabrutinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It blocks a protein called BTK, which is present on B-cell (a type of white blood cells) cancers at abnormal levels. This may help keep cancer cells from growing and spreading. CLL/SLL patients treated with a different BTK inhibitor called ibrutinib often experience cardiac side effects, leading to discontinuation of life-saving therapy. Treatment with acalabrutinib after discontinuing, or even before starting, treatment with ibrutinib may reverse or prevent cardiac side effects and be an effective treatment option for patients with CLL/SLL.