Plasmapheresis Treatment for Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia

Several treatments are used to cure waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia such as chemotherapy, salvage therapy, biological therapy etc. The most common complications of Waldenstrom’s Macroglubulinemia are hyperviscosity or thickness of the blood. In Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia, the blood is thickened due to surplus amount of the blood protein IgM, this can lead to serious health problems along with damage to several organs such as brain damage or bleeding problems. One of the treatments for waldenstrom’s Macroglubulinemia is Plasmapheresis which can give the patient rapid symptom relief from hyperviscosity syndrome. Plasmapheresis is a process in which the thickness of the blood is reduced by lowering the level of the abnormal IgM protein. In Plasmapheresis, blood from the vein is taken out from the body with the help of a needle or a catheter. Plasma is then removed from the blood with a device called a cell separator and replaced usually with a protein solution called albumin. The blood is then returned to the patient’s body and the same process is repeated continuously with a blood cell separator to make the treatment more effective. Treatment of plasmapheresis may take several hours and this treatment can be done on an outpatient basis. This treatment can be uncomfortable but normally it is not painful. Though it is not painful, it is very difficult for the patient to lie down or sit continuously for 2 to 3 hours. The number of treatments given to the patient depends on the general condition of the patient as well as on the stage of the cancer. On an average 6 to 10 treatment of plasma exchange are given to the patient in a period of 2 to 10 weeks. A patient can lie in a bed or sit in a reclining chair. In this treatment, one small, thin tube (catheter) is positioned in a large vein, normally the one in the crook of the arm, and another tube is positioned in the other hand or foot (which can make at least one arm move freely at the time of treatment). Thickened blood is taken out with the help of the cell separator from one tube, then the blood cells are separated, combined with replacement fluids, and are given back to the patient with the help of the other tube. Plasmapheresis treatment works quickly to control hyperviscosity and to get the IgM levels down to a safe level. Patients with high hyperviscosity are given plasmapheresis till chemotherapy has a chance to work on it. When Waldenstrom’s Macrogloblunemia is not controlled by chemotherapy, biological therapy or with any other treatment then plasmapheresis is used. Plasmapheresis prevents complications which are caused due to overproduction of IgM protein in the blood cells.