What is WM?

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (“NHL”) is a cancer of the lymphatic system and lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (“LPL”) is a rare type of NHL.

Jan Waldenström was the Swedish doctor who first described the disease now known as Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia (“WM”) in 1944 and “macroglobulinaemia” was the word he used to describe the high levels of IgM “paraprotein” (meaning an abnormal version of the usually normal IgM protein) seen in the blood stream of 95% of patients with LPL. WM is the term describing LPL characterised by production of IgM paraprotein.

The bone marrow is the source of all our blood cells, including red cells (which carry oxygen), white cells (which fight infections) and platelets (which help the blood to clot when needed). The blood cells made in the bone marrow are continuously released from the bone marrow into the bloodstream. The lymphatic system is part of the body’s immune system and helps us fight infection, and consists of organs such as the bone marrow, thymus, spleen, and the lymph nodes (or lymph glands). Lymph nodes are connected by a network of tiny lymphatic vessels that contain lymph fluid and are found in groups, particularly in the armpits, the neck and the groin. Some groups of lymph nodes are situated more deeply, in the chest and abdomen. There is also lymphatic tissue in other organs, such as the skin, lungs and stomach.

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