Hairy Cell Leukemia Health Article

Alternative treatment

Many individuals choose to supplement traditional therapy with complementary methods. Often, these methods improve the tolerance of side effects and symptoms as well as enrich the quality of life. The American Cancer Society recommends that patients talk to their doctor to ensure that the methods they are using are safely supplementing traditional therapy. Some complementary treatments include the following:

• yoga
• meditation
• religious practices and prayer
• music therapy
• art therapy
• massage therapy
• aromatherapy

Prevention

Since the cause for the disease is unknown and there are no specific risk factors, there is no known prevention.

BOOKS

Bast, Robert C. Cancer Medicine. Lewiston, NY: B.C. Decker Inc., 2000.

Cook, Allan R. The New Cancer Sourcebook. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, Inc., 1996.

DeVita, Vincent T. Cancer Principles and Practice of Oncology, 5th Edition, Vol. 2. Philadelphia: PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 1997.

Dollinger, Malin. Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy. Somerville House Books Limited, 1994.

Haskell, Charles M. Cancer Treatment, 5th Edition. Philadephia: W.B. Saunders Company, 2001.

Morra, Marion E. Choices. Avon Books, October 1994.

Murphy, Gerald P. Informed Decisions: The Complete book of Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment and Recovery. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society, 1997.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Cancer Society (National Headquarters). 1599 Clifton Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30329. (800) 227-2345. <http://www.cancer.org>.

Cancer Research Institute (National Headquarters). 681 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10022. (800) 992-2623. <http://www.cancerresearch.org>.

Hairy Cell Leukemia Research Foundation. 2345 County Farm Lane, Schaumburg, IL 60194. (800) 693-6173.

Leukemia Society of America, Inc. National Office, 600 Third Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016. (800) 955-4LSA.

National Cancer Institute. 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 31, Room 10A16, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892. (800) 422-6237. <http://www.icic.nci.nih.gov>.

Oncolink. University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center. <http://cancer.med.upenn.edu>.

OTHER

NCI/PDQ Patient Statement, "Hairy cell leukemia." National Cancer Institute, 2001.

"Coping With Side Effects." National Cancer Institute. 2 July 2001. <http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov/chemotherapy/chemoside.html>.

Sally C. McFarlane-Parrott

Lata Cherath