Greetings to the entire WM community worldwide! Happy to have 2020 behind us, we now focus on COVID vaccines being widely available early in 2021. We all look forward eventually to being able to visit with our loved ones and share good times again.

Meanwhile, as WMers, we continue to educate ourselves about our disease and find support by connecting virtually with each other. The IWMF Torch is a good way to do that, whether you read it online or in print, curled up in a comfortable chair with your coffee or tea.

We have lots of interesting medical information in this issue, starting with Dr. Shahrzad Jalali of the Mayo Clinic Rochester, who introduces us to the tumor microenvironment in WM. As a main location for the infiltration and proliferation of malignant B-cells, the bone marrow microenvironment plays a key role in the development of WM.

Science Editor Glenn Cantor summarizes the ongoing research that the IWMF funds and also lets us know how you can get involved in WM research by participating in Dr. Irene Ghobrial’s PCROWD study on early progression to WM in watch-and-wait patients.

Medical News Roundup is especially complete in this issue, as Sue Herms covers not only WM ongoing treatments and trials, but also several WM-related abstracts from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting that was held virtually in December.

The IWMF has had lots of changes, retirements, and additions to the Board, and new Board Chair Pete DeNardis, a veteran WMer for almost 20 years, introduces us to new Board members and relates his goals for his tenure.

We hope you enjoy all the other articles that are included in this issue. If you would like to suggest an article topic to be addressed, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Best wishes to all of you for a safe and healthy 2021!

Shirley Ganse
Editor, IWMF Torch

Olease click the following link to view or download the document:

https://iwmf.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Torch-Jan-2021_final-web.pdf