First, all of the bone marrow in the body is destroyed with high doses of chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. The healthy marrow from the donor is given to the patient through a needle in the vein, and the marrow replaces the marrow that was destroyed. Bone marrow transplants using marrow from a relative or unrelated person is called an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Treatment by stage Standard treatment may be considered because of its effectiveness in patients in past studies, or participation in a clinical trial may be considered. Not all patients are cured with standard therapy and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired.
Clinical trials are ongoing in most parts of the country for patients with hairy cell leukemia.
The doctor will follow the patient closely so treatment can be started if the leukemia gets worse. If the patient has not responded to biological therapy, chemotherapy may be given. The patient may also wish to take part in a clinical trial of new chemotherapy drugs. PDQ statements exist for a number of topics. Please consult the PDQ Index .