image by: HWN

HWN Suggests

What is Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia?

WM develops very slowly and often doesn’t need to be treated immediately. Many patients are put on a treatment plan called ‘active monitoring’ which is a recommended way to care for people with slow-growing cancers like WM. Treatment has harsh side effects and there is no evidence that being treated earlier has any benefits. Through active monitoring, doctors postpone treatment until it can have the maximum impact.

read full article

Featured

 What are the most common symptoms of Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia?

Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM) is slow growing and may not cause signs and symptoms for many years. One in four people (25 percent) are asymptomatic – meaning without symptoms – when they are diagnosed. Often doctors discover WM when a person has blood tests done for some other reason. Even after diagnosis you may not be symptomatic for many years. The most common early symptoms of WM are weakness and fatigue due to anemia. Anemia is a condition in which you lack enough red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body’s organs.

 What is Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia?

WM is the most common form of a sub-type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL). WM cells are lymphoplasmacytic, meaning they have features of both plasma cells and lymphocyte cells. WM is a slow-growing lymphoma and does not always require treatment. If you don’t have symptoms, you usually do not need to be treated. If you do develop symptoms, you may need treatment depending on the severity of the symptoms.

Articles of Interest

How I treat Waldenström macroglobulinemia

Many options that fit the needs of different patients with WM are available. The major challenge is the development of active, low-toxicity combinations that will provide a high probability of complete responses, potentially with a fixed duration of therapy. New treatments are emerging, but available therapies can be further optimized. Inclusion in clinical trials offers the best opportunity for patients to receive new therapies, and for most patients, this would be our preferred choice. Despite recent advances, we need deeper understanding of the disease and international collaboration in clinical trials to improve therapy.

Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma and Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia

LPL with IgM antibodies detectable on blood tests is called Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia (WM). It is named after the scientist who first described it. WM is the most common type of LPL, accounting for 95% of cases. The IgM abnormal antibody produced in WM is a large (‘macro’) protein that can make your blood too thick if too much of it is produced.

Waldenström macroglobulinemia

WM is a slow-growing disease. Patients with WM often live for many years before requiring treatment. Regular checkups are strongly recommended to watch for progression.

Waldenström Macroglobulinemia

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a low-grade lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by the presence of an immunoglobulin M monoclonal protein in the blood and monoclonal small lymphocytes and lymphoplasmacytoid cells in the marrow. The disease is uncommon and there is a lack of clear diagnostic criteria. WM is treatable but not curable and long-term survival is possible

Waldenström macroglobulinemia: 2023 update on diagnosis, risk stratification, and management

When WM is diagnosed before the development of symptoms, patients may be safely observed and monitored. However, patients with symptoms require chemotherapy. Nonstudy Mayo Clinic–preferred options are rituximab and bendamustine or zanubrutinib. The clinician should focus on methods to minimize the toxicity associated with therapy and avoid late complications.

Waldenström Macroglobulinemia: Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Management

Waldenström macroglobulinemia is a rare hematologic malignancy characterized by an IgM-associated lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. Often, it is associated with an indolent disease course, and many patients are candidates for careful monitoring. As many patients present with advanced age and nonspecific constitutional symptoms, careful consideration should be given to treatment decisions, including when and how to treat for maximized clinical benefit with minimal toxicity.

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia: prognosis and management

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is a B-cell lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma characterized by monoclonal immunoglobulin M protein in the serum and infiltration of bone marrow with lymphoplasmacytic cells. Asymptomatic patients can be observed without therapy. First-line therapy should consist of the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody, rituximab, given typically in combination with other agents. We prefer dexamethasone, rituximab, cyclophosphamide (DRC) as initial therapy for most patients with symptomatic WM.

Resources

International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation

Support and educate everyone affected by Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM) to improve patient outcomes while advancing the search for a cure.

WM UK

Founded in 2012 by a small group of dedicated volunteers, WMUK has evolved to become the UK's only charity dedicated to people living with Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia and lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma.

Lymphoma Coalition

WM is a cancer of the B lymphocytes (B cells) and is subtype of LPL. WM is an indolent (slow-growing) lymphoma (also known as low grade), which can be managed as a chronic cancer for a number of years. However, it is not yet curable. It occurs mostly in older adults.

Lymphoma Research Foundation

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), which is a subtype of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, is a rare indolent (slow-growing) B-cell lymphoma that occurs in less than two percent of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). There are about 1,000 to 1,500 new cases of WM diagnosed each year in the United States. The disease usually affects older adults and is primarily found in the bone marrow, although lymph nodes and the spleen may be involved.