Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Treatment
Our Treatment Approach
Because Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia is a slow-growing, chronic type of lymphoma, you may need care for an extended time. Your treatment may include a series of several therapies.
Working together and with you, our team of experts painstakingly plans your treatment, utilizing the most advanced and effective treatments, as well as therapies that help with side effects of the disease and treatment. Many times we are able to offer clinical trials (research studies) of new treatments for Waldenstrom’s.
If you’ve been diagnosed with Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia, or you’ve been fighting the disease for a while, we can help. Call 1-877-MDA-6789 to make an appointment or request an appointment online.
Why Choose MD Anderson?
- Leading-edge Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia treatments available at only a few centers in the nation, including targeted therapies
- Innovative treatment options with best outcomes and least impact on your body
- High level of experience and expertise in Waldenstrom’s
- Customized care by teams of experts
- Clinical trials of new treatments
Waldenstroms Macroglobulinemia Knowledge Center
Treatment at MD Anderson
Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia is treated in our:
Our Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Treatments
If you are diagnosed with Waldenstrom's, your doctor will discuss the best options to treat it. This depends on several factors, including the extent of the disease and your general health.
Your treatment for Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia will be customized to your particular needs. One or more of the following therapies may be recommended to treat the cancer or help relieve symptoms.
Chemotherapy: This often is the most effective treatment, and a combination of drugs usually is used. MD Anderson offers the most up-to-date and effective chemotherapy options for Waldenstrom's.
Radiation therapy: New radiation therapy techniques and remarkable skill allow MD Anderson doctors to target Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia tumors more precisely, delivering the maximum amount of radiation with the least damage to healthy cells.
Immunotherapy: On the cutting edge of new treatments, immunotherapies to treat Waldenstrom's may include:
- Monoclonal antibodies, including Rituxan® (rituximab)
- Biological therapies that develop antibodies that destroy tumor cells
- Proteasome inhibitors, such as Velcade® (bortezomib)
- Immune modulators, such as thalidomide and lenalidomide, that modify the environment of the tumor cell and allow it to die
- Targeted therapies that attack cancer cells by using small molecules to block pathways cells us to survive and multiply
Stem cell transplantation: If Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia does not respond to chemotherapy or if it returns, a stem cell transplant may be recommended. MD Anderson's stem cell transplantation program is among the most active and advanced in the nation.
Plasma exchange: If you develop symptoms because you blood is too thick, plasma can be removed and replaced with normal plasma from a healthy donor. This quickly relieves the symptoms until chemotherapy or immunotherapy is able to destroy the Waldenstrom's cells that are causing the build up of abnormal protein.
Watchful waiting: Your doctor carefully monitors the disease and your symptoms, suggesting treatment if needed.
Our Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Clinical Trials
Since MD Anderson is one of the nation's leading research centers, we're able to offer clinical trials (research studies) of new treatments for Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia – both newly diagnosed and recurrent disease.
To find out more about clinical trials at MD Anderson for Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, visit our Clinical Trials database or speak to your doctor.