Hairy Cell Leukemia

Hairy Cell Leukemia – General Information

Hairy Cell Leukemia is a rare type of blood cancer in which he bone marrow produces too many lymphocytes (these are a type of white blood cells which fight the infections in the organism). The lymphocytes are abnormal and look “hairy” under the microscope. Hairy Cell Leukemia affects more men than women and it appears and develops more in the middle-aged or even older adults. The doctors do not know exactly what leads to the appearance and development of this medical condition. Usually, the cancers appear as a defect in the DNA. In the case of Hairy Cell Leukemia, the mutations which appear in the DNA lead to the appearance of more white cells which are produced by the bone marrow. These white blood cells do not work properly. There are some factors which increase a person’s risk of developing this medical condition, but not all the studies agree on the same factors of risk. Some studies indicate that the risk of developing it is based on the patient’s:

• Family history of blood cancers – this medical condition is found in more encountered in families with a history of blood cancers.
• Personal history of cancer – this means that if a person has had another type of cancer the risk of developing this medical condition is higher than in the other persons.
• Exposure to radiation – the people who work daily around X-ray machines or other machineries which release ionizing radiation are at a higher risk of developing this medical condition.

Hairy Cell Leukemia – Symptoms

It is well known the fact that any medical disorder (including Hairy Cell Leukemia) can trigger a variety of symptoms. Therefore, some of this medical condition's most uncommon symptoms have not been listed (mentioned) here. This is why we strongly recommend you to contact your personal health care provider whenever you develop any unusual, bothersome or unpleasant symptoms. Your personal physician will be able to tell you if you are suffering from Hairy Cell Leukemia or from any other medical disorder. Here is a list of the most common symptoms that a person who suffers from Hairy Cell Leukemia, may experience: a feeling of fullness in the abdomen which leads to feeling uncomfortable while eating, fatigue, weight loss, weakness, enlarged spleen. Patients may also feel tired and have a shortness of breath. Other symptoms include fever and painless lumps in the neck, underarm, groin and stomach. This medical condition is considered to be chronic and usually in the chronic forms of leukemia the symptoms may not appear for months or even for years. This medical disorder may be identified at a routine check, when the leukemia may be in advanced stages. When the symptoms appear they usually are mild and tend to get worse gradually. The abnormal white blood cells tend to collect in different parts of the body affecting the skin, digestive tract, central nervous system, kidneys and testicles. Every patient experience these symptoms differently, this is why it is very important to talk to the doctor about the symptoms one has before beginning any treatment.

Hairy Cell Leukemia – Treatment

It is well known the fact that the treatment is not necessary in all of the patients who are suffering from Hairy Cell Leukemia. Because this cancer progresses slowly and sometimes many of the patients prefer not to treat it until it produces signs and symptoms. But the majority of the persons who are suffering from Hairy Cell Leukemia will need treatment sooner or later. This type of cancer can be treated at any stage, but there is no cure for it. The treatment is useful only for ameliorating the signs and symptoms, but the new treatments are effective and put the Hairy Cell Leukemia in remission for a few years. Chemotherapy is one of the treatment methods and the doctors believe that the chemotherapy drugs are the first line in treating this medical condition. The majority of the cases will experience complete or partial remission after the chemotherapy treatment. There are two types of chemotherapy drugs which are used in the treatment: Cladiribine (also known as Leustatin) and Pentostatin (also known as Nipent).

Claditibine is used in the majority of the treatments as an intravenous drug which is administered daily for one week. Most of the people who are treated with Claditibine experience a remission which can last for a few years. If the disease returns it can be treated again with the same drug. The side effects that the patients may experience after using this medicine include fever and infections. Pentostatin may put the disease in remission for several years but it is administered differently. The patients are administered Pentostatin in the veins every week for three till six months. The side effects which the patients may experience after using this drug include: nausea, fever, infection, sensitivity to light, eye inflammation (such as keratoconjunctivitis), and vomiting.

Another way of treating the patients who are suffering from Hairy Cell Leukemia is the Biological Treatment. The Biological treatment (also known as immunotherapy) tries to make the cancer recognizable by the immune system; once the immune system recognizes the cancer it can start by destroying the cancer cells. There are two types of immunotherapy available for this medical disorder: Alpha – interferon and Rituximab (also known as Rituxan). Alpha interferon is usually administered in the cases in which the chemotherapy is not effective or if the patients cannot receive chemotherapy for different reasons. Many people have a partial remission which last approximately one year. The side effects that patients who are taking these drugs may suffer include: flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, fever, runny nose. Rituximab is an antibody which is also used in the treatment of Hairy Cell Leukemia, in which the chemotherapy is not effective or in the cases in which the patients cannot receive chemotherapy for various reasons. The side effects of this drug include infection, headaches, bleeding, fatigue and sometimes irritability. Another treatment option is surgery. One of the first surgeries done in such cases was splenectomy, but now the doctors recommend it in rare cases. Although the splenectomy cannot cure this medical condition it may at leas restore the normal blood counts.