What Is Hairy Cell Leukemia?

Answer 1

I had hairy cell leukemia in 2001. 9/11/01 to be exact. it was exactly 17 years ago. Not only was I battling cancer but our country was being attacked and it was my 43rd birthday. My youngest son was starting his senior year of high school. I had a week of chemotherapy 24/7 . A new cocktail - the inventor received a noble peace prize the year prior. They killed all my white cells. I was week but survived. It followed by two weeks of protein injections. Will this ever come back?

Comments

I wish it never comes back to you. God bless you.

---

There is no cure for hairy cell leukemia. But treatments are effective at putting hairy cell leukemia in remission for years. This cancer progresses very slowly and sometimes doesn't progress at all, it's more like a chronic disease.

---

I was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia in 2000.  Went through chemo for a week at the age of 51-   but never had any protein injections.  They ran a blood test in 2001 - still no cancer.  Here it is 18 years later.  There are times my leg swells and I'm going through weight gain, but I'm pushing 71, so who knows.  My cancer doctor is now deceased.  Will it raise it's ugly head again -- I don't know if and when.  I was so bad in 2000, that the doctor said he didn't know why I was still able to stand on my legs.  Sometimes I felt like I was 24 hrs. away from dying!  Also had a 4 lb. fibroid tumor which didn't help matters any and had that removed 6 months later because they said I would have died on the table had I had it removed sooner.  Looked up Hairy Cell on the computer and it said that it was common in people who had Radiation treatments as an infant - which I did.  It would usually hit around the age of 50 - which it did.  Just gives me things to think about!!

---

Yes, radiation treatment to one cancer leads to another cancer later in one's life. Who knows? Make every day count.

Answer 2

I had hairy cell leukemia in 2001. 9/11/01 to be exact. it was exactly 17 years ago. Not only was I battling cancer but our country was being attacked and it was my 43rd birthday. My youngest son was starting his senior year of high school. I had a week of chemotherapy 24/7 . A new cocktail - the inventor received a noble peace prize the year prior. They killed all my white cells. I was week but survived. It followed by two weeks of protein injections. Will this ever come back?

Comments

I wish it never comes back to you. God bless you.

---

There is no cure for hairy cell leukemia. But treatments are effective at putting hairy cell leukemia in remission for years. This cancer progresses very slowly and sometimes doesn't progress at all, it's more like a chronic disease.