Emerging therapeutic options for Waldenström macroglobulinemia/lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma

Oncological Emergencies from Pathophysiology and Diagnosis to Treatment: A Narrative Review

Oncological emergencies are defined as any acute possible morbid or life-threatening events in patients with cancer either because of the malignancy or because of their treatment. These events may occur at any time during malignancy, from symptoms present to end-stage disease. The aim of this study is the review of urgent conditions results from cancer or cancer treatment side effects that need to be addressed immediately. In this study, a comprehensive and in-depth narrative review was carried out by searching the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar with the keywords of "cancer, emergency, metabolic emergency, neutropenic fever" along with the words, "tumor lysis syndrome, chemotherapeutic emergency, diagnosis, treatment " in last two decades. Patients suffering from cancer mostly face the challenges that we are classified in different categories, including metabolic, hematologic, cardiovascular, neurologic, respiratory, infectious, and chemotherapeutic emergencies. These patients mostly complain of headaches, nausea, pain, and fever. In conclusion, knowledge of oncology emergencies and palliative care as part of a team approach is critical for treating cancer patients. In this light, it is pivotal for physicians to focus on the early detection of oncological emergencies. Moreover, training programs for cancer patients help them to timely recognize and report the oncologic emergency symptoms, leading to avoid deleterious consequences and unnecessary healthcare costs as well as improve the quality of life in these patients.

Diagnosis and Management of Oncologic Emergencies

Oncologic emergencies may be seen in any emergency department and will become more frequent as our population ages and more patients receive chemotherapy. Life-saving interventions are available for certain oncologic emergencies if the diagnosis is made in a timely fashion. In this article we will cover neutropenic fever, tumor lysis syndrome, hypercalcemia of malignancy, and hyperviscosity syndrome. After reading this article the reader should be much more confident in the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of these oncologic emergencies.

Preclinical models of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia and drug resistance

Newer therapeutic strategies are emerging in Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia (WM), which has traditionally been an orphan disease diagnosis. Ibrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor was FDA-approved in 2015 as the first ever drug for the treatment of WM. This being a targeted therapy, has given rise to increased research into novel agents and pathways that can be exploited for clinical benefit in WM. In order to understand the underlying mechanisms of disease behavior as well as to test the benefit of various drugs, appropriate preclinical models are required. Historically there had been a lack of representative preclinical models in WM, but in recent years this has dramatically changed. This review highlights the currently available preclinical models and data regarding drug resistance pathways in WM. Knowledge from these will certainly help in paving the future course of treatment in this rare disorder which is indolent and yet, so far incurable.

An uncommon case of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma in cerebellopontine angle region: Case report with a literature review

In the central nervous system, cerebellopontine angle (CPA) lymphomas are rare; few cases have been reported. Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) in the CPA is rarer still, and often misdiagnosed as acoustic neuroma.We report a rare case of CPA LPL-a challenging diagnosis guided by clinical presentations, radiological signs, and postoperative pathological test.A 43-year-old woman presented with headaches. Her magnetic resonance imaging revealed an abnormal homogeneously enhancing mass in the left CPA. We present detailed analysis of her disease and review relevant literature.When surgically treated, her specimen showed a typical LPL histopathology pattern. After surgery, the patient's symptoms improved greatly, and she received chemotherapy.Despite its rarity, LPL should be considered in differential diagnoses of CPA lesions that mimic acoustic neuromas.