An extremely rare disease, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia affects only about 3 people in a million each year. This blood cancer causes certain immune system cells to mutate. These mutated cells essentially take over the blood production centers in bone marrow and squeeze out normal red and white cells. At the same time, large amounts of abnormal proteins produced by these mutated cells accumulate in various body sites. Reduced numbers of healthy red and white blood cells in circulation leaves you open to anemia and infection. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia can be treated with chemotherapy or even a bone marrow transplant.
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a rare type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells.
If one have Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, your bone marrow produces too many abnormal white blood cells that crowd out healthy blood cells. The abnormal white blood cells produce a protein that accumulates in the blood, impairs circulation and causes complications.
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is considered a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It's sometimes called lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma.
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is slow growing and may not cause signs and symptoms for many years.
When they do occur, signs and symptoms may include:
The medicines that can be thought of use are: -