Background
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a cancer of lymphocytes
(B cells) that leads to low blood counts. 2 HCL
affects both the blood and the bone marrow.
"This rare type of leukemia
gets worse slowly or not at all. The disease is called hairy cell
leukemia because the leukemia cells look "hairy" when viewed
under a microscope." 3
"Early in the course of the disease, no treatment may be necessary. Some patients may need an occasional blood transfusion.
... Newer treatments using chemotherapy have greatly improved the survival of patients with hairy cell leukemia.2
____________________________________________
Incidence
HCL is an uncommon cancer of the blood.
____________________________________________
Diagnosis
To make an accurate diagnosis of lymphoma, a
biopsy must be performed by the surgical removal (resection) of a
lymph node. A fine needle aspiration may be performed if a
lymph node is not accessible, but this is not considered a definitive
way to determine the diagnosis.
A series of tests will then
be performed to determine the characteristics of the cells. If a
malignancy is determine, these characteristics will allow your doctors
to determine the appropriate treatments to use when needed.
"The best approach to establishing the
diagnosis of hairy cell leukemia is to carefully examine blood and
bone marrow biopsy specimens to identify cells with the morphologic
features of hairy cells and to demonstrate that the neoplastic cells
have an antigenic profile that is characteristic for hairy cell
leukemia. ...
Monoclonal antibody and gene
rearrangement studies have indicated that the hairy cell is a
postgerminal B cell. ... relatively mature B cell, perhaps at a
preplasma cell stage of development." 1
Specific markers: "hairy
cells express the pan-B-cell antigens CD19, CD20, CD22, and CD79a,
although they usually lack CD21"
1
____________________________________________
Common signs
and symptoms
____________________________________________
References
-
-
-
-
____________________________________________
Treatment
TOPIC SEARCH PubMed
"Hairy cell leukemia is a chronic lymphoproliferative disorder
that is easily controlled.
The decision to treat is based on symptomatic cytopenias (low blood
counts), massive splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), or the presence of
other complications.
About 10% of all patients will never require therapy." www.cancer.gov
"If treatment, a variety of chemotherapy drugs (cladribine, pentostatin) can be used. Interferon is also used. In the majority of cases these drugs can produce a remission (complete relief from the disease) that lasts for many years.
It is unclear if chemotherapy will cure the disease, however, because most patients will relapse over time.
The removal of the spleen may improve blood counts, but is unlikely to cure the disease.
Symptomatic treatment of infections with antibiotics or low blood counts with growth factors and transfusions may be required."
MedlinePlus
