Waldenström's macroglobulinemia is infrequent in Mexican Mestizos: experience of a hematological diseases referral center.

Along a 17-year period 7,373 patients were prospectively studied in a private practice Health facility; of these 11 were patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia; calculations from these data and previous publications show that this lymphoid malignancy represents in Mexico 0.18% of all hematologic malignancies, a figure 11 times lower than that described from caucasians. The median age was 65 years (range 31 to 84); there were 6 males and 5 females. Ten individuals were mexican mestizos, whereas one had a caucasian phenotype. The clinical features of the patients afflicted by the disease in Mexico were similar to those reported from caucasian populations. The median survival (SV) of the group of patients was 40 months, whereas the 42-month survival was 49%; the prognosis of the disease was relatively good despite the fact that complete remissions were unfrequent as a result of the treatment.