Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM) is very distinct from other indolent lymphoma subtypes: by definition it is accompanied by a monoclonal IgM gammopathy, it presents always with bone marrow infiltration and often with clinical symptoms such as neuropathy or hyperviscosity. These disease characteristics and the frequently advanced age of the WM patient pose a major challenge to the treating clinician even today. Recently, there has been not only substantial progress in our understanding of the biology of WM, but we have also significantly improved our tools to prognostify and to treat patients with this disease.
The European Consortium for Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia (ECWM) joins forces in Europe in a consortium, which has the vision to combine the expertise of clinicians, pathologists and researchers across Europe to develop novel strategies to diagnose, prognostify and treat patients with WM.