Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare B-lymphocytic subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Approximately 1000-1500 cases of WM are diagnosed each year in the United States. Worldwide, WM is estimated to have an incidence of approximately 3-5 million patients per year. WM typically presents in older patients; the median age at diagnosis is around 75 years. WM is more common in men than women, and the disease disproportionately affects white, non-Hispanic patients. Thanks to newer therapies, the median survival rate of patients younger than 70 years is > 10 years.
Symptomatic patients often present with vague complaints of weakness, anorexia, and weight loss. Diagnostic criteria for WM include elevated immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels (confirmed with immunofixation), increased blood viscosity, and lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate on bone marrow biopsy.
The recently updated clinical practice guidelines by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the treatment recommendations by International Workshop on Waldenström Macroglobulinemia guide clinicians in the treatment and management of patients with WM.
Do you know important treatment considerations and current recommendations for WM? Test your knowledge with this short quiz.
Medscape © 2022 WebMD, LLC
Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Emmanuel C. Besa. Fast Five Quiz: Can You Treat Waldenström Macroglobulinemia? - Medscape - Mar 22, 2022.
Comments