Question: What are the treatments for Hairy Cell Leukemia ?
Answer: Key Points - There are different types of treatment for patients with hairy cell leukemia. - Five types of standard treatment are used: - Watchful waiting - Chemotherapy - Biologic therapy - Surgery - Targeted therapy - New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials. - Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. - Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their cancer treatment. - Follow-up tests may be needed. There are different types of treatment for patients with hairy cell leukemia. Different types of treatment are available for patients with hairy cell leukemia. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment. Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment. Five types of standard treatment are used: Watchful waiting Watchful waiting is closely monitoring a patient's condition, without giving any treatment until signs or symptoms appear or change. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them 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 (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. Cladribine and pentostatin are anticancer drugs commonly used to treat hairy cell leukemia. These drugs may increase the risk of other types of cancer, especially Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Long-term follow up for second cancers is very important. Biologic therapy Biologic therapy is a cancer treatment that uses the patients immune system to fight cancer. Substances made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost, direct, or restore the bodys natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy. Interferon alfa is a biologic agent commonly used to treat hairy cell leukemia. See Drugs Approved for Hairy Cell Leukemia for more information. Surgery Splenectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the spleen. Targeted therapy Targeted therapy is a treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells. Monoclonal antibody therapy is a type of targeted therapy used to treat hairy cell leukemia. Monoclonal antibody therapy uses antibodies made in the laboratory from a single type of immune system cell. These antibodies can identify substances on cancer cells or normal substances that may help cancer cells grow. The antibodies attach to the substances and kill the cancer cells, block their growth, or keep them from spreading. Monoclonal antibodies are given by infusion. They may be used alone or to carry drugs, toxins, or radioactive material directly to cancer cells. A monoclonal antibody called rituximab may be used for certain patients with hairy cell leukemia. Other types of targeted therapies are being studied. New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials. Information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website. Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment. Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment. Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward. Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their cancer treatment. Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment. Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. See the Treatment Options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials. These have been retrieved from NCI's listing of clinical trials. Follow-up tests may be needed. Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated. Some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests. Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back). These tests are sometimes called follow-up tests or check-ups. Treatment Options for Hairy Cell Leukemia Untreated Hairy Cell Leukemia If the patient's blood cell counts are not too low and there are no signs or symptoms, treatment may not be needed and the patient is carefully watched for changes in his or her condition. If blood cell counts become too low or if signs or symptoms appear, initial treatment may include the following: - Chemotherapy. - Splenectomy. Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with untreated hairy cell leukemia. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website. Progressive Hairy Cell Leukemia Treatment for progressive hairy cell leukemia may include the following: - Chemotherapy. - Biologic therapy. - Splenectomy. - A clinical trial of chemotherapy and targeted therapy with a monoclonal antibody (rituximab). Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with progressive hairy cell leukemia, initial treatment. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website. Relapsed or Refractory Hairy Cell Leukemia Treatment of relapsed or refractory hairy cell leukemia may include the following: - Chemotherapy. - Biologic therapy. - Targeted therapy with a monoclonal antibody (rituximab). - High-dose chemotherapy. - A clinical trial of a new biologic therapy. - A clinical trial of a new targeted therapy. - A clinical trial of chemotherapy and targeted therapy with a monoclonal antibody (rituximab). Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with refractory hairy cell leukemia. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.