Hairy cell leukemia treated initially with purine analogs: a retrospective study of 107 patients from the Spanish Cooperative Group on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (GELLC).

Abstract Purine analogs are highly effective in hairy cell leukemia (HCL) with response rates of 85%, but with many late relapses. We have retrospectively reviewed the clinical data from 107 patients treated with pentostatin (n = 27) or cladribine (n = 80), to investigate the long-term efficacy and to identify factors associated with the treatment-free interval (TFI). Complete remission and minimal residual disease (MRD) rates were similar in both groups.