GLOSSARY of WM Related Terms

Alkylating agent: A chemotherapeutic agent such as chlorambucil (Leukeran) or cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), which blocks cell division.

Alopecia: Hair loss, often a result of chemotherapy.

Allogeneic transplantation: A procedure in which a patient receives bone marrow or stem cells from a person other than an identical twin.

Anemia: A condition in which the number of red cells or the amount of hemoglobin in the blood is abnormally low.

Angiogenesis: The formation of blood vessels needed by tumors in order to grow.

Asymptomatic: Without symptoms.

Antiangiogenesis: The destruction blood vessels; the prevention of angiogenesis.

Antibodies: Proteins produced by certain white blood cells in response to a foreign substance (antigen). Each antibody can bind only to one specific antigen. Its purpose is to destroy the antigen.

Antigen: Any foreign substance that activates the immune system.

Antimetabolite: A substance that replaces or inhibits the utilization of a metabolite. (A metabolite is usually a toxic product of metabolism.)

Apheresis: A procedure in which blood is removed, a portion separated, and the remainder returned, often with replacement fluid. (See plasmapheresis.)

Artery: Blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the body.

Autologous transplantation: A procedure in which a patient’s own bone marrow or stem cells are removed for later reinfusion.

B cells: Lymphocytes that develop in the bone marrow. In response to antigens, B cells produce antibodies. Also known as B-lymphocytes.

Bioavailability: The degree and rate at which a substance is absorbed into the body.

Biopsy: Surgical removal of a small piece of tissue for microscopic evaluation

Bone marrow: The soft, spongy tissue in the center of the large bones that produces white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets.

Bone marrow aspiration: Removal by needle of fluid and cells from the bone marrow.

Catheter: A thin, flexible tube through which fluids enter or leave the body.

Chemotherapy: Treatment with anticancer drugs.

Colony Stimulating Factors (CSFs): Proteins that stimulate the development of cells in the bone marrow; also called growth factors.

CT or CAT (Computerized Axial Tomography) Scan: A x-ray procedure that uses a computer to produce a detailed picture of a cross section of the body.

Dilation: Enlargement.

Engorgement: Filling with blood to the point of congestion, ie. engorgement of retinal veins.

Erythopoietin: A colony-stimulating factor that stimulates red cells.

Graft vs host disease: A reaction of white blood cells in transplanted tissue (the graft) against the tissues of the recipient (the host).

Granulocytes: White blood cells that attack and destroy bacteria. (See neutrophils.)

Hematocrit: A measure of red blood cells as a percentage of whole blood.

Hemoglobin (HGB): A protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from lungs to all cells of the body.

Hyperviscosity: Excessive blood thickness.

IgM: A specific immunoglobulin, an excess of which characterizes WM.

Immunoglobulin: See Antibody.

Immunosuppression: An extreme weakening of the immune response caused by drugs or other means.

Indolent: Slow growing.

Infusion: The introduction of a fluid into a vein.

Intravenous (IV): Into the vein.

Intravenous catheter: A thin plastic tube that is inserted in to a vein to allow the addition of substances to the blood.

Leukemia: Cancer that begins in developing white blood cells in the bone marrow, and crowds out normally developing blood cells.

Leukopenia: An abnormally low number of white blood cells.

Lymph: A pale fluid containing a liquid resembling blood plasma and white blood cells that circulates throughout the body and is passed into the blood.

Lymph nodes: Masses of lymphoid tissue distributed throughout the lymph system and containing lymphocytes.

Lymphocytes: A type of white blood cells, including T cells and B cells that produce antibodies.

Lymphoma: Cancer of the lymphatic system, which includes the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, lymph nodes and vessels that carry fluid and infection-fighting cells.

Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma: The modern term for Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia under the REAL classification system (Revised European-American Classification of Lymphoid Neoplasms)

Median: Situated in the middle; fifty percent of a population on either side.

Mitosis: The process of cell division, which results in two cells with the same chromosome and DNA content as the original cell.

Monoclonal antibodies: Laboratory-produced identical antibodies that can target a specific antigen.

Monoclonal: A single, malignant plasma cell.

Monoclonal gammopathy: A disorder characterized by a disturbance in the body’s synthesis of a single antibody.

Monocytes: White blood cells that break down old blood cells and microorganisms.

Multiple myeloma: A cancer of the bone marrow.

Myelosuppression: A bone marrow condition that results in decreased platelets and red and white blood cells.

Neurological: Relating to the nervous system.

Neutrophils: White blood cells that protect the body from infection.

Neutropenia: A reduced level of neutrophils or white blood cells.

Nucleoside Analog: (See Purine analog).

Opportunistic infection: An infection that occurs because of a compromised immune system.

Palliation: Treatment given to remove or relieve symptoms rather than to cure the disease.

Peripheral blood stem cells: Stem cells that circulate in the blood.

Peripheral neuropathy: Numbness, tingling, or pain in peripheral nerves, usually in hands or feet.

Plasma: The fluid part of blood and lymph

Plasma cells: Cells that produce antibodies to fight infection. In WM the malignant plasma cells produce large amounts of abnormal antibodies which lack this ability.

Plasmacytoid: Possessing abnormal numbers of plasma cells in the blood.

Plasmacytoma: A collection of plasma cells found in a single location rather than throughout the bone marrow, soft tissue or bone.

Plasmapheresis: A procedure for obtaining plasma from a donor by separating the plasma from the whole blood and returning the rest to the donor, usually with saline solution and albumin (see apheresis).

Platelets (thrombocytes): Blood cells that stimulate clotting to prevent excessive bleeding.

Protocol: A detailed plan of a medical experiment or treatment.

Prognosis: A prediction of the course of the disease and its outcome.

Purine analogs: Part of a larger class of anti-cancer drugs termed antimetabolites, which, unlike alkylating agents, act specifically on proliferating cells. Fludarabine (Fludara) and cladribine (2CdA or Leustatin) are two purine analogs commonly used in treating WM.

Red cells: The cells which contain hemoglobin and carry oxygen to all parts of the body.

Refractory: Not responding to treatment.

Relapse: The return of disease after it has been treated and the patient has been in remission.

Remission: Disappearance of signs and symptoms of disease.

Response: Reaction to treatment. Partial response is usually defined as a 50-75% reduction of tumor; complete response as 75-100% reduction. In WM, response may be defined as reduction in IgM.

Retinal: Pertaining to the retina, a sensory membrane of the eye.

Serum viscosity (SV): Blood thickness.

Sign: Objective evidence of disease, usually observed by the physician. (Compare Symptom.)

Spleen: An organ on the left side of the stomach that produces and stores lymphocytes.

Stem cells: The immature cells from which all blood cells develop.

Subcutaneous: Under the skin.

Symptoms: Subjective evidence of a disease, usually observed by the patient. (Compare Sign.)

Syngeneic transplantation: A procedure in which an identical twin is the donor.

T cells: White blood cells that mature in the thymus and attack viruses. Also known as T lymphocytes.

Thrombocytopenia: An abnormally low number of platelets in the blood.

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue, either benign or malignant.

Vein: Vessels that carry blood to the heart.

White blood cells: One of three major types of blood cells, consisting of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes.