What are the current treatment options for refractory hairy cell leukemia?

Refractory hairy cell leukemia (HCL) refers to a type of HCL that does not respond to initial treatments or has relapsed. While the standard first-line therapy for HCL involves purine nucleoside analogs like cladribine or pentostatin, refractory cases require alternative treatments. Currently, the two main options for refractory HCL are immunotherapies and targeted therapies. Immunotherapies, such as rituximab or interferon-alpha, work by enhancing the immune system's ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Targeted therapies, such as BRAF inhibitors like vemurafenib or BRAF-MEK inhibitor combinations like dabrafenib and trametinib, directly target specific mutations in the cancer cells to block their growth and division. These newer treatment approaches have shown promising outcomes in patients with refractory HCL, offering hope for improved management of this rare leukemia subtype.

This mind map was published on 29 December 2023 and has been viewed 46 times.