title: Treatment options in Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia: the role of the purine analogues.
abstract: The purine nucleoside analogues, either alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, are increasingly used in the treatment of patients with indolent B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. The initial studies in Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia (WM) are very promising. Approximately 40% of patients who have received prior therapy with alkylating agents respond, while response rates of up to 90% have been documented in untreated patients. However, it is not known whether the purine analogues offer any significant advantage over alkylating agents such as chlorambucil. In this review the treatment options in WM and in particular the role of the purine analogues are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, The General Infirmary at Leeds, UK. rgo@ukgateway.net
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Owen
mesh_terms: D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002699:Chlorambucil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017338:Cladribine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015649:Pentostatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010956:Plasmapheresis; D011684:Purine Nucleosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008258:Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000477:Alkylating Agents; D000963:Antimetabolites; D011684:Purine Nucleosides; D002699:Chlorambucil; D015649:Pentostatin; D017338:Cladribine; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine