Is Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia a blood cancer?

Is Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia a blood cancer?

Overview. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (mak-roe-glob-u-lih-NEE-me-uh) is a rare type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells. If you have Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, your bone marrow produces too many abnormal white blood cells that crowd out healthy blood cells.

Is Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia curable?

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is generally not considered to be curable, but it is treatable. Many different medicines can help keep WM under control, often for long periods of time. Not everyone with WM needs treatment right away. In fact, some people are diagnosed with WM before they even have symptoms from it.

What type of cancer is Waldenstrom?

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The cancer cells make large amounts of an abnormal protein (called a macroglobulin). Another name for WM is lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma.

How rare is Waldenstrom’s?

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is rare, with an incidence rate of about 3 cases per million people per year in the United States. About 1,000 to 1,500 people are diagnosed with WM each year in the United States.

How long can someone live with Waldenstrom’s?

The International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation has found that improved treatments have put median survival rates between 14 and 16 years. Median survival is defined as the length of time at which 50 percent of people with the disease have died while the rest are still living.

What causes death from Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia?

The most important causes of death in Waldenström macroglobulinemia include progression of the proliferative process, infection, cardiac failure, renal failure, strokes, and GI bleeding. Transformation to a more aggressive immunoblastic variant is less common (6% of cases).

Can I live 20 years with Waldenstrom’s?

What causes death in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia?

What are the end stages of Waldenstrom’s?

Staging/Prognostic Scoring System for Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia/Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma