[Hairy cell leukemia treated with cladribine].
BACKGROUND
Hairy cell leukaemia is a chronic B-cell disorder that follows an indolent course. Cladribine has in the last decade emerged as the drug of choice for treating hairy cell leukaemia.


METHODS
We report on the long-term follow-up of 26 patients treated from January 1992 to June 1993 with cladribine administered subcutaneously.


RESULTS
25 patients were evaluable for response. 21 patients (84%) achieved complete remission, three patients (12%) achieved partial remission, and one patient had no response. At a median follow-up of 6.8 years, 24 patients (92%) were still alive. One patient died from infections four months after treatment, while the other patient died from a malignant melanoma 4.4 years after treatment. Relapse assessed by flow cytometry was diagnosed in 95% of the patients. 38% of those in complete and 67% of those in partial remission were treated by a second course of cladribine during the follow-up. Retreatment led to normalisation of peripheral blood count in all patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Cladribine is not a curative treatment in hairy cell leukaemia, but it induces long lasting remission.
Ghanima
Waleed
W
Seksjon for blodsykdommer Medisinsk avdeling Rikshospitalet 0027 Oslo. wghanima@c2i.net
Heldal
Dag
D
Tjønnfjord
Geir E
GE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017338:Cladribine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007943:Leukemia, Hairy Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D017338:Cladribine