title: Recommendations for the diagnosis and initial evaluation of patients with Waldenström Macroglobulinaemia: A Task Force from the 8th International Workshop on Waldenström Macroglobulinaemia.
abstract: The diagnosis of Waldenström macroglobulinaemia (WM) can be challenging given the variety of signs and symptoms patients can present. Furthermore, once the diagnosis of WM is established, the initial evaluation should be thorough as well as appropriately directed. During the 8th International Workshop for WM in London, United Kingdom, a multi-institutional task force was formed to develop consensus recommendations for the diagnosis and initial evaluation of patients with WM. In this document, we present the results of the deliberations that took place to address these issues. We provide recommendations for history-taking and physical examination, laboratory studies, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy analysis and imaging studies. We also provide guidance on the initial evaluation of special situations, such as anaemia, hyperviscosity, neuropathy, Bing-Neel syndrome and amyloidosis. We hope these recommendations serve as a practical guidance to clinicians taking care of patients with a suspected or an established diagnosis of WM.
authors.affiliation: Bing Center for Waldenström Macroglobulinemia, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. jorgej_castillo@dfci.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Jorge J
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9490-7532
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garcia-Sanz
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Theageneion Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Evdoxia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hatjiharissi
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kyle
authors.affiliation: La Miletrie Hospital, CHU Poitiers, Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Leleu
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McMaster
authors.affiliation: Amyloidosis Research and Treatment Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Merlini
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, UMC Utrecht Cancer Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Monique C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Minnema
authors.affiliation: Division of Haematology, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morra
authors.affiliation: St James's Institute of Oncology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Roger G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.affiliation: Service d'Hématologie-Immunologie-Cytogénétique, Centre Hospitalier de Valenciennes, Valenciennes, France.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poulain
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Baylor Charles A Sammons Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Marvin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Constantine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varettoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Meletios A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dimopoulos
authors.affiliation: Bing Center for Waldenström Macroglobulinemia, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Treon
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Efstathios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kastritis
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D008258:Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Bing-Neel syndrome; Waldenström macroglobulinaemia; amyloidosis; anaemia; hyperviscosity; neuropathy