Treatment of hairy cell leukemia in a decade of change. Appraisal of community based oncologists' opinions.
Over the past decade there have been several important new treatment options for hairy cell leukemia (HCL). These changes have centered around the emergence of new medicines starting with Alpha Interferon in the early 1980's, then Pentostatin, and finally in the early 90's with 2-CDA. The object of this study was to ascertain the treatment preference, reasons for selection, and ramifications of these new therapies on community-based oncologists. A questionnaire study was sent to 300 medical oncologists taken from the American Society of Clinical Oncology Membership Listings for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Questions ranging from demographic information of these physicians, choice of treatment for HCL reasons for their selections and the impact of these selections on the treatment of other diseases, as well as future research on HCL were asked. Seventy-eight percent of responding physicians considered 2-CDA the treatment of choice. Belief that this was the most effective treatment was their reasoning. Eighty percent felt that further research in HCL was still beneficial and needed. Perhaps some of this was based on the response that developments in the treatment of HCL had interfaced with the potential treatments of other diseases.
Arena
F P
FP
Hematologic Research Foundation, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY.
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017338:Cladribine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003154:Community Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D003237:Connecticut; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007943:Leukemia, Hairy Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000639:trends*; D009515:New Jersey; D009518:New York; D015649:Pentostatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends*; D013156:Splenectomy
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D015649:Pentostatin; D017338:Cladribine