Code 202.80 Other lymphomas, malignant

hi MiamiGirl, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma is a malignant proliferation of B-cells in the bone marrow. There are many different types of lymphomas affecting different parts of the body. In my case it appears to be the underlying cause for my variant of CIDP with anti-MAG IgM, also called PDN or paraproteinemic demyelinating neuropathy. Here M type antibodies proliferate out of control and attack a component of the myelin. From the way I understand the entire process. I don’t think that lymphoma can be the underlying cause for regular CIDP. As a matter of fact, to this date a cause for CIDP has not been found. There are, however, theories which have not been substantiated.

Actually, who first considered lymphoma 2 years ago was Dr. Quan at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver. She wanted to rule it out and sent me to an oncologist at the same hospital. For one reason or another he decided that there wasn’t anything. A few months ago I switched to an oncologist here in Fort Collins. When I walked into his office I told him right away I wanted him to diagnose non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma because I wanted to get Rituxan. As I mentioned earlier, he changed his diagnosis to paraproteinemia in order to get approval for the bone marrow biopsy.

Today I had a PET/CT scan of the entire body to rule out metastatic cancer. He changed the diagnosis once again to code 202.80 or “other lymphoma, malignant, unspecified location”. He also ordered another round of five days of IVIG. Just to be on the safe side. I started it today. I will be done Monday. Tuesday I will meet with a physician assistant for “Chemo Education” who will explain to me the procedure for Rituxan infusion. I will get it once a week for four weeks. Actually, Rituxan is not chemo but just treated as such. It is a humanized antibody from mice targeting all my B-cells tagging them for removal. It is relatively safe. Hopefully, that will get rid of the misbehaving ones and the new ones will be only the good kind.

Carol thinks I’m crazy to be happy that I have cancer. But I do not believe that it is serious and I hope Rituxan will take care of it and my CIDP symptoms at the same time. I read that this type of slow growing lymphoma tends to come back after a year or two requiring new treatments with Rituxan.

Like they say in politics, I’m cautiously optimistic.:D