This week's artwork was donated by Amanda, a pediatric cancer patient who received treatment at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia . National Cancer Institute Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia is a rare, chronic cancer that is classified as a low-grade, or indolent, type of lymphoma. It affects plasma cells, which develop from white blood cells called B lymphocytes, or B cells. B cells form in the lymph nodes and the bone marrow, the soft, spongy tissue inside bones. Some B cells become plasma cells, which make, store, and release antibodies.
Antibodies help the body fight viruses, bacteria, and other foreign substances.
In Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, abnormal plasma cells multiply out of control. Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia usually occurs in people over age 65, but can occur in younger people. A review of cancer registries in the United States found that the disease is more common among men than women and among whites than blacks. Some patients do not experience symptoms. Others may have enlarged lymph nodes or spleen, and may experience fatigue, headaches, weight loss, a tendency to bleed easily, visual problems, confusion, dizziness, and loss of coordination.