Hearing you have HCL can be overwhelming, upsetting and hard to understand.
It is important you know that:
There is hope
This type of blood cancer may not require treatment right away; when it is needed, treatment can lead to remission.
Research is advancing
Our understanding of this disease has progressed tremendously in recent years.
It’s nothing you did
You did not catch the disease from someone else and cannot pass it to your children.
You are not alone.
Know that the blood cancer community is here to support you every step of the way.
What happens next?
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Talking to family and friends
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Telling your children
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Speaking with your employer
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Preparing for appointments
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Understanding lab results
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Asking for a second opinion
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Coping with fear, anxiety and stress
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Taking care of your body
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Managing fatigue and cognitive challenges
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Understanding insurance and organizing finances
Experiences of others with HCL
Resources on HCL
Hairy Cell Leukemia
Learn about Hairy Cell Leukemia, how it is diagnosed, an overview of treatments and what happens next.
Watch & Wait (active surveillance)
Learn about the watch and wait approach, understand the benefits and find out what it means for you.
Immunotherapy
Learn about your immune system, understand immunotherapy and how it works.
Understanding clinical trials
Get an overview of clinical trials, understand them, how they are planned, evaluate benefits and risks of participating, address concerns and what to ask.
Types of blood cancer treatments
You or your loved one has been diagnosed with a type of blood cancer. Cancer treatment can be complex, with different types of treatment options available for some blood cancers. What are they and how do they work? This fact sheet will help you Learn about the different treatment options available, Understand each type of treatment and how it can help, Prepa…
Understanding Genetics
Genetics plays an important role in understanding cancer and treatments for cancers. What is genetics and how is it involved in cancer?
Shared Decision Making: Discussion tool for people with a blood cancer
You or your loved one has been diagnosed with a type of blood cancer. You will be making important decisions with your healthcare team.
Diagnosis and treatment of hairy cell leukemia: Brent Kirchner shares his story
Brent Kirchner returned from an afternoon at the local pool not feeling well and thinking he was coming down with the flu. As his symptoms worsened, he ended up in the hospital and in an induced coma to help clear his lungs of fluid. Brent was eventually diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia, a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many white blood …
All resources
Access all fact sheets, guides, podcast, videos and other resources to learn everything from disease symptoms, statistics and treatment options.