Waldenström macroglobulinemia in Germany: incidence, treatment and costs

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare B-cell lymphoma that predominantly affects older men. In a new study in Value in Health Regional Issues, Sabrina Müller (OncoCase team) and co-authors analysed a large anonymised German claims database from January 2010 to June 2022 to provide evidence on the epidemiology, real-world treatment patterns, overall survival and economic burden of WM.

Key findings

• 593 incident WM cases were identified (mean age 72.7 years; 46.5% female).

• In 2021, the standardised cumulative incidence ranged from 1.39 to 1.90 per 100,000 persons.

• Median overall survival was 7.9 years.

• Nearly 70% of patients initially followed a watch-and-wait approach. Rituximab, often combined with bendamustine, was the most common treatment, and ibrutinib has recently been used more frequently in later lines.

• Incremental costs compared with a matched control group were substantial, driven mainly by medication and inpatient care.

The study indicates an increasing incidence of WM in Germany with a significant economic burden, even though most newly diagnosed patients initially adopt a watch-and-wait approach.

Buske C, Herold M, Bahar N, Yang K, Tang B, Müller S, Hess G. Value in Health Regional Issues (2025) 50:101162. Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vhri.2025.101162