Learn about the three most important lines of latitude on Earth - the equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn. Learn about the three most important lines of latitude on Earth - the equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn.
General Discussion. Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare type of blood cancer characterized by abnormal changes in white blood cells known as B lymphocytes. The bone marrow creates too many of these defective cells, known as hairy cells because of the thin hair-like projections found on their surface.
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL), a slow-growing lymphocytic cancer, accounts for about 2 percent of all leukemias. Like many other types of cancer, chronic leukemias become more common with age. The average age of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is roughly 70 years, and the average age of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients is 40 to 50 years old. By contrast, acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is largely a pediatric (childhood) disease and usually occurs in children younger than 10 years of age. Worldwide, leukemia generally affects men more often than women. In Western countries, the male:female ratio is highest in CLL patients.