Guide To Treating Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a type of blood cancer that starts in the white blood cells. This cancer causes the bone marrow to make an abnormally high amount of irregular white blood cells, which end up crowding the circulatory system and the healthy blood cells throughout it. These cells make a protein called macroglobulin that builds up in the blood impairing healthy circulation and causes other complications. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia may not cause symptoms for several years because it is slow growing. When symptoms do manifest, they include nosebleeds, easy bruising, fatigue, weight loss, gum bleeding, headaches, vision changes, fever, and numbness in the hands and feet. WM starts when one white blood cell develops DNA mutations that tell the cell to multiply rapidly. These cells also do not die when healthy white blood cells should. Diagnosis is made with blood testing and bone marrow biopsy.