Hairy Cell Leukemia

Hairy cell leukemia is a rare, usually slow-growing form of blood cancer. This page gives you a first, briefly explained overview.

What is hairy cell leukemia?

Hairy cell leukemia arises from abnormal B-lymphocytes. It owes its name to the appearance of the cancer cells, which show fine, hair-like projections under the microscope. The disease mainly affects the bone marrow, the blood and the spleen.

Common symptoms

Possible signs can include:

• Persistent tiredness and paleness
• Increased susceptibility to infections
• Easy bruising or a tendency to bleed
• A feeling of pressure in the upper left abdomen due to an enlarged spleen

These complaints can also have other causes. If symptoms persist, you should seek medical advice.

Treatment

Treatment depends on whether and how strongly you have symptoms, as well as on your individual situation. General treatment approaches include drug therapies and targeted therapies. In some cases no immediate treatment is needed at first. Your treatment plan is set individually by your care team.

Why clinical trials are important

Clinical trials help to further develop and improve treatments. Especially for rarer diseases such as hairy cell leukemia, they can open up new options. Current clinical trials for this disease are listed below.