什么是毛细胞白血病？

毛状细胞白血病（HCL）是一种罕见的血液和骨髓癌，影响您的B淋巴细胞，它们是白细胞，使抗体抗体可抵抗感染。如果您患有HCL，您的身体会产生异常的B淋巴细胞，这些淋巴细胞无法正常工作。这些异常细胞可以占据健康的B淋巴细胞的空间，从而削弱您的免疫系统并使您容易感染。

While the production of abnormal B lymphocytes is the hallmark of this disease, your body’s increased production of these abnormal cells can also cause a decrease in red blood cells and platelets. HCL gets its name because the abnormal white blood cells look hairy under a microscope. Rare cases of hairy cell leukemia affect T lymphocytes, which are cells that help B lymphocytes fight infection.

While the exact cause of HCL is unknown, some research shows a relationship between this type of cancer and exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange, which was used to destroy crops and jungle canopy during the Vietnam War. If you’re a veteran who has HCL and were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, you may qualify for disability and healthcare benefits from the美国退伍军人事务部.

Common symptoms of HCL include:

  • persistently feeling tired
  • 弱点
  • 减肥毫无理由
  • 气促
  • 出汗过多，经常在晚上
  • swollen lymph nodes
  • frequent infections and fevers
  • 皮肤上的小红斑
  • an enlarged liver or spleen
  • 容易挫伤和bleeding
  • bone pain, especially under the ribs

HCL进展缓慢，在早期阶段，您可能会遇到很少或根本没有症状。

如果您患有HCL，重要的是要注意癌症正在进展的症状。如果您通常感觉不舒服，或者您有以下任何一项，请致电您的医生：

  • 很多出血
  • 感染
  • a persistent fever
  • 持续的咳嗽

These may suggest that your white blood cell count is low. Proper care and timely treatment are crucial for your health.

这种类型的癌症影响男性多于女性，大多数HCL诊断都是在50岁以上的人中进行的。

Your doctor may suspect HCL based on your symptoms or if signs of the disease are present during a physical exam. Tests your doctor may perform to reach a diagnosis include the following:

  • CT扫描拍摄身体的详细图像，并允许您的医生查看某些器官，例如脾或肝脏，如果您患有HCL，可能会肿胀。
  • 完整的血液计数是对血液中白细胞和血小板的量的量度。
  • 外周血涂片是一项测试，其中在显微镜下查看血液以寻找毛状细胞。
  • 如果您有骨髓活检，您的医生将使用空心针去除一小部分骨髓样本。样品将在显微镜下查看以示癌症。
  • A sample of your blood cells or bone marrow may be examined under a microscope for certain markers, such as protein patterns, that are found on the surface of HCL cells. This is called immunophenotyping.

Treatment will vary depending on the number of hairy cells and healthy cells in your blood and bone marrow, and whether you exhibit certain symptoms, such as a swollen or infected spleen. While some treatments may relieve and manage symptoms, none are known to cure it completely. You may need treatment if your normal blood cell counts are low, your spleen is swollen, or if you have an infection.

常见治疗包括：

  • blood transfusions to increase blood count
  • chemotherapy treatments to kill abnormal cells
  • 手术以清除脾脏肿胀
  • 治愈感染的抗生素

If your HCL isn’t progressing and if you don’t have symptoms, your condition should be monitored but it may not require immediate treatment.

Treatment and recovery will depend on whether there’s a continuous increase in the number of hairy cells and the rate at which these cells develop. Most cases of HCL respond well to treatment and usually result in long-term remission, which occurs when the cancer has stopped progressing and your symptoms have gone away. If your symptoms return and the cancer begins to progress again, you may need to go through treatment again to put the cancer back into remission.