The treatment of hairy cell leukemia: an update.

The treatment of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) requires continuing update. The role for splenectomy is extremely limited. Alfa-interferon therapy has been available and utilized for five years; there have been few complete remissions. The experience with Pentostatin has resulted in a majority of clinical complete remissions after several months of therapy, but persistence of a small percentage of hairy cells in the bone marrow. The most recent therapeutic agent, 2-chloro-deoxyadenosine (2-CDA) is given for seven days and results in a complete remission in the great majority of patients with no evidence of persistent bone marrow disease. If this trend persists, 2-CDA will become first line therapy for HCL as it may cure the disease.