New developments in the management of Waldenström macroglobulinemia

Abstract

New developments in the management of Waldenström macroglobulinemia Jithma P Abeykoon,1 Uday Yanamandra,2 Prashant Kapoor1,3 1Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; 2Department of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant, Army Hospital (Research & Referral), Delhi, India; 3Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare, immunoglobulin M -associated lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. With the recent discoveries of CXCR warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections, and myelokathexis (WHIM) and MYD88 mutations, our understanding of the biology of WM has expanded substantially. While WM still remains incurable, the field is rapidly evolving, and a number of promising agents with significant activity in this malignancy are being evaluated currently. In this review, we discuss the new developments that have occurred in WM over the past 15 years, with a focus on the role of ibrutinib, an oral Brutonâ