TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Targeted therapy
Source: Hairy Cell Leukemia Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: April 23, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
Context: Treatment Option Overview / The following types of treatment are used:
Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells.
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Monoclonal antibody therapy: Monoclonal antibodies are immune system proteins made in the laboratory to treat many diseases, including cancer. As a cancer treatment, these antibodies can attach to a specific target on cancer cells or other cells that may help cancer cells grow. The antibodies are able to then kill the cancer cells, block their growth, or keep them from spreading. Monoclonal antibodies are given by infusion. They may be used alone or to carry drugs, toxins, or radioactive material directly to cancer cells. Rituximab is a type of monoclonal antibody that may be used to treat certain patients with hairy cell leukemia.
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Other types of targeted therapies are being studied in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia, including:
Vemurafenib, dabrafenib, and trametinib are types of kinase inhibitors that block certain proteins made by the mutated BRAF gene, which may help keep cancer cells from growing.
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Ibrutinib is a type of targeted therapy that blocks a protein called Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), which may help keep cancer cells from growing.
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Learn more about Drugs Approved for Hairy Cell Leukemia.
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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice