The Ohio State Legacy of Hairy Cell Leukemia – A Rare Form of Adult Chronic Leukemia
Michael Grever
"The Ohio State Legacy of Hairy Cell Leukemia – A Rare Form of Adult Chronic Leukemia"
February 2, 2022
4-5 p.m.
In 1958, Dr. Bertha Bouroncle at Ohio State published one of the original descriptions of a rare form of adult leukemia. Hairy Cell Leukemia, initially called “Leukemic Reticuloendotheliosis,” captured the interest of hematologists for decades because of the truly unique appearance of this leukemic cell characterized by “hair-like” projections emanating from the cytoplasm. Investigators at Ohio State participated with patients in establishing the international Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation. This international patient-led organization is now sponsoring $2 million in research funding per year, publishing clinical guidelines for patient management, and establishing international Centers of Excellence in patient care. While the projected survival for this leukemia in 1984 was estimated to be approximately 4.5 years, research at Ohio State and other universities has achieved highly durable remissions and played a prominent role in improving the outcome for this rare form of adult leukemia.