Associated malignancies in patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia and their kin

Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2011 Feb;11(1):88-92. doi: 10.3816/CLML.2011.n.016.

Abstract

We examined the incidence of other malignancies in 924 Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia (WM) patients and their kin. A total of 225 (24.3%) patients had ≥1 additional malignancy, with 63% predating the WM diagnosis. The most common gender-adjusted malignancies were prostate (9.4%), breast (8.0%), non-melanoma skin (7.1%), hematologic (2.8%), melanoma (2.2%), lung (1.4%) and thyroid 1.1%). Among hematologic malignancies, all 13 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and 4 cases of acute myelogenous leukemia were diagnosed after WM, and were therapy-related. Familial WM subgroup analysis showed a higher incidence of prostate cancer (P=.046) in sporadic WM patients, while patients with familial WM had a higher incidence of lung cancer (P=.0043). An increased incidence of myeloid leukemias (P<.0001) was reported among kin of familial WM patients. These data reveal specific cancer associations with WM, and provide a basis for exploratory studies aimed at delineating a common genetic basis. Additionally, these studies suggest specific cancer clustering based on familial predisposition to WM.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Massachusetts / epidemiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / diagnosis
  • Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / epidemiology*
  • Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / genetics