What is Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia (WM)?

Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia (WM) is a lymphoma or cancer. It occurs in a type of white blood cell called a B-lymphocyte or B-cell, which normally matures into a plasma cell whose job is to manufacture immunoglobulins (antibodies) to help the body fight infection. In WM, there is a malignant change to the B-cell in the late stages of maturing and it continues to proliferate as a clone of identical cells, primarily in the bone marrow, but also in the lymph nodes and other tissues and organs. It is known as lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) and must be associated with the production of an antibody protein or immunoglobulin known as IgM in order for WM to be diagnosed.

How is WM diagnosed?

The diagnosis of WM requires two components. The first is the presence in the serum (the clear, yellowish part of the blood that doesn't clot) of a monoclonal IgM protein, the so-called macroglobulin protein. The second is the presence of an abnormal cell population in the bone marrow. The abnormal cells (lymphoplasmacytic cells) are in the bone marrow and are responsible for the production of the IgM protein. To make that diagnosis, your doctor will begin with a series of questions. They will then examine you, looking for signs and symptoms of disease. Based on this information, a series of blood and medical tests will be ordered. If WM is suspected, a bone marrow biopsy is necessary.

What are the common signs and symptoms of WM

What is the connection between WM and fatigue? WM can cause a wide variety of signs and symptoms. The most common are slowly progressing fatigue and shortness of breath with exertion due to anaemia. The anaemia is the result of the decrease in red blood cells caused by the increased number of lymphoplasmacytic (LPL) cells in the bone marrow. Other typical signs and symptoms are abnormal bleeding from gums and nose, dizziness, decreased red blood cell count, neurological symptoms such as peripheral neuropathy, enlarged lymph nodes, enlarged spleen, weight loss, and night sweats. Most symptoms are attributable to a decrease in red blood cells caused by the proliferation of the lymphoplasmacytic (LPL) cells of WM or to the secretion of monoclonal IgM (hyperviscosity, peripheral neuropathy and autoimmune hemolytic anaemia).