Hairy cell leukaemia, treatment

Cytokines and biological response modifiers represent a broad class of therapeutic agents that modify the hosts response to cancer or cancer therapies. The enormous body information about their clinical uses and their side effects is beyond the scope of this essay that can only give illustrative examples. For an up-to-date information the reader can resort to reference [5]. As many as 33 different interleukins are known and the list continues to grow IL-2 used in the treatment of kidney cancer is one example. Interferon alpha is used for chronic myelogenous leukeia, hairy cell leukaemia and Kaposi s sarcoma. Interferons are also used in the treatment of chronic infections such as viral hepatitis. Tumor necrosis factor (alpha), G/GM/M-CSF, and several other cellular factors are used in treatment of various cancers. Many of these cytokines produce serious side effects that limit their use. 

Clinical trials have shown the recombinant interferons to be effective in the treatment of various cancer types, with rhIFN-a2a and -a2b both approved for treatment of hairy cell leukaemia. This is a rare B-lymphocyte neoplasm for which few effective treatments were previously available. Administration of the recombinant interferons promotes significant regression of the cancer in up to 90 per cent of patients. 

Alpha interferon is also effective in the treatment of hairy cell leukaemia, condyloma acuminata (caused by papilloma virus), chronic myelogenous leukaemia and AIDS related Kaposi s sarcoma. 

Hagberg H, Lundhohn L. Rituximab, a chimaeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, in the treatment of hairy cell leukaemia. Br J Haematol 2001 115(3) 609-11. 

C8H12N4O5 244.207 Antiviral agent. Usually administered as an aerosol. As Ribetron, in combination with Interferon Alfa 2b, used for the treatment of malignant melanoma, Kaposi s sarcoma, warts, hairy cell leukaemia, hepatits B and C and non-Hodgkin s lymphoma. Marketed drug. Approved for clinical use in the EU (1999). Approved by FDA (July 2003) for treatment of pediatric hepatitis CSol. H2O. 

---