title: Therapeutic approaches to the treatment of hairy cell leukemia.
abstract: Although a rare disease, hairy cell leukemia has great biologic and clinical significance. New therapeutic options of alpha-interferon and pentostatin have challenged the role of splenectomy in the overall management of the disease. alpha-Interferon can now be considered the treatment of choice for patients who progress after splenectomy, and it may also be considered as initial treatment in selected patients. Future clinical trials will focus on the relative efficacies of alpha-interferon and pentostatin, their potential for sequential or combined use, and the role of splenectomy.
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003070:Coformycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007937:Leukapheresis; D007943:Leukemia, Hairy Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D015649:Pentostatin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013156:Splenectomy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D003070:Coformycin; D015649:Pentostatin