Cladribine Treatment Outcomes in Hairy Cell Leukemia: A Single-center Experience

Cladribine Treatment Outcomes in Hairy Cell Leukemia: A Single-center Experience Aim: Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare, indolent, chronic B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.This study aimed to assess the clinical features, treatment responses, and outcomes of patients with HCL monitored at our institution.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 25 patients diagnosed with HCL who were followed at our center.Data on demographics, presenting symptoms, laboratory findings, immunophenotypic characteristics, treatment responses, and long-term follow-up were reviewed. Results:The median age at diagnosis was 48 years, and most patients were male.Fatigue, abdominal fullness, and abdominal pain were the leading presenting symptoms.All patients had splenomegaly at diagnosis.All patients received cladribine as first-line therapy, achieving complete remission (CR) in 92.0% and partial remission in 8.0% of cases.During a median follow-up of 36.9 months after CR, three patients (12%) experienced relapse, but subsequently achieved CR following re-treatment with cladribine.No treatment-related deaths or secondary malignancies were recorded.Conclusion: Cladribine continues to be a reliable and well-tolerated initial therapy for patients with HCL.In those who relapse, retreatment with cladribine is effective, reinforcing its established role in disease management.