How Is Hairy Cell Leukemia Treated?
- Watchful waiting
- Chemotherapy
- Biological therapy
- Surgery.
Treating Hairy Cell Leukemia With Watchful Waiting
Watchful waiting involves closely monitoring a person's condition, without giving any hairy cell
leukemia treatment until symptoms appear or change.
Chemotherapy as a Hairy Cell Leukemia Treatment
Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (this is called systemic chemotherapy).
When healthcare providers place anticancer drugs directly into the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen (stomach), the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (this is called regional chemotherapy).
The way healthcare providers administer chemotherapy will depend on the type and stage of hairy cell
leukemia that is being treated. Examples of anticancer drugs used to treat this condition include cladribine and pentostatin.
Biological therapy is a treatment that uses the person's immune system to fight cancer. Substances made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy.
Interferon alfa is a biological agent that is commonly used for hairy cell leukemia treatment. Healthcare providers may use a biological agent called
rituximab to treat relapsed or refractory cases of hairy cell leukemia.
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