Articles & Insights

Patients Malignant Haematology

Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia: a guide for patients and families

Being told that you have chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia, usually shortened to CMML, can be confusing. The name is long, it sounds alarmingly similar to several other blood cancers, and an internet search tends to produce either incomprehensible genetics or survival statistics stripped of all human context. A magnificent system humanity has built.

Ivo Andrejco · 1 Jul 2026
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Patients Malignant Haematology

Myelodysplastic Syndrome: When the Bone Marrow Factory Gets a Bit Disorganised

Myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, is a condition where the bone marrow does not make blood cells properly. The bone marrow is the soft, spongy tissue inside some of your bones. Its job is to make blood cells every day. It is a bit like a very busy factory — usually reliable, usually quiet, and usually not asking for attention. In MDS, the factory is still open, the lights are on, and the workers are trying their best — but the production line has become disorganised. Some blood cells are made poorly, some do not mature properly, and some never make it out of the factory at all.

Ivo Andrejco · 1 Jun 2026
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Patients Malignant Haematology

Waldenström Macroglobulinaemia

I recently reviewed a patient who was found to have an increased level of IgM kappa immunoglobulin, with an IgM paraprotein detected on serum protein electrophoresis. This was an incidental finding on routine blood testing, and the patient remains well. At present, he has no signs or symptoms to suggest an underlying lymphoma. However, the presence of an IgM paraprotein does carry an increased risk of progression over time to a blood cancer, most commonly a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called Waldenström macroglobulinaemia, also known as lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. Much less commonly, an IgM paraprotein may be associated with multiple myeloma, which arises from plasma cells rather than lymphocytes. With this in mind, I have put together this patient-friendly article about Waldenström macroglobulinaemia: what it is, how it is diagnosed, when treatment is needed, and what modern treatment options are available.

Ivo Andrejco · 17 May 2026
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