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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffHairy cell leukemia progresses very slowly and sometimes remains stable for many years. For this reason, few complications of the disease occur. However, untreated hairy cell leukemia that progresses can lead to serious complications, such as:
- Infections. Low white blood cell counts put you at risk of infections that your body might otherwise fight off.
- Bleeding. Low platelet counts make it hard for your body to stop bleeding once it starts. If you have a mildly low platelet count, you might notice that you bruise more easily. Very low platelet counts can cause spontaneous bleeding from the nose or gums.
- Anemia. A low red blood cell count means fewer cells are available to carry oxygen throughout your body. This is called anemia. Anemia causes fatigue.
- Ruptured spleen. Splenic rupture is a life-threatening condition that requires emergency surgery to remove your spleen. Hairy cell leukemia cells fill the spleen, causing it to enlarge. Eventually the extra cells cause the spleen to burst, though this complication is very rare.
Increased risk of second cancers
Some studies have found that people with hairy cell leukemia may have an increased risk of developing a second type of cancer. It isn't clear whether this risk is due to hairy cell leukemia's effect on the body or if the risk comes from the medications used to treat hairy cell leukemia.
As an example, one large study by the National Cancer Institute tracked more than 3,000 people with hairy cell leukemia for several years. The study found a higher incidence of second cancers than would typically be expected among cancer survivors. The most common second cancers included Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and thyroid cancer.
