Dr. Alessandro Gozzetti 

CURE attended the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation 2025 Conference where medical experts gathered to discuss advances in research and patient care.

Hairy Cell Leukemia Experts Impart Advice on Care and Support 

CURE had the privilege of attending the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation 2025 Conference in Bologna, Italy, where medical experts gathered to discuss advances in research, treatment and patient care for hairy cell leukemia (HCL).

During the conference, CURE spoke with leading specialists and asked, “What is one thing you wish every patient with hairy cell leukemia understood about their treatment or ongoing care?” Their insights highlighted the treatability of this rare disease, the importance of expert care, and the role of education and advocacy in improving patient outcomes.

Dr. Dima El-Sharkawi, consultant hematologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust Hospital in London, emphasized the rarity of HCL and the need for patients to be educated and connected with support networks. She noted that specialized groups, such as those for women or patients of Hispanic ancestry, can provide targeted resources, 

helping patients navigate treatment decisions and, in some cases, pursue active surveillance

 or clinical trial options suited to their individual needs.

Dr. Alina Gerrie, hematologist and assistant professor in the Divisions of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the University of British Columbia and a Clinician Investigator at BC Cancer Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, stressed the value of consulting with HCL experts. Even if primary care occurs locally, seeing a specialist provides a deeper understanding of disease progression, treatment alternatives and long-term management, ensuring patients are fully informed and empowered in their care.

Dr. Alessandro Gozzetti, associate professor in the Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuroscience Sciences at the University of Siena, 

highlighted that HCL is highly treatable and curable

 with current therapies when managed by experienced centers. He emphasized the importance of clinical expertise in navigating treatment choices and optimizing outcomes.

Dr. Kerry A. Rogers, hematologist-oncologist and associate professor of Internal Medicine at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James, 

described how long-term data show excellent life expectancy

 and quality of life for most patients. She highlighted ongoing research into prognostic markers and novel immune-based therapies, reinforcing that patients have access to evolving treatment options.

Dr. Jacqueline Barrientos, chief of Hematologic Malignancies and director of Oncology Research at Mount Sinai Medical Center, underscored the importance of patient advocacy, education and support. Across all discussions, a unifying message emerged: patients with HCL can achieve durable remissions and excellent quality of life when treated by experts, supported through education, and connected with research and advocacy networks.

Understanding Hairy Cell Leukemia: Presentations and Complications, by Dr. Dima El-Sharkawi. CURE; Nov. 3, 2025. https://www.curetoday.com/view/understanding-hairy-cell-leukemia-presentations-and-complications

Insights on Fertility and Survivorship in Hairy Cell Leukemia, by Dr. Alessandro Gozzetti. CURE; Oct. 24, 2025. https://www.curetoday.com/view/insights-on-fertility-and-survivorship-in-hairy-cell-leukemia

Insights Into Advancing Care and Research in Hairy Cell Leukemia, by Dr. Kerry A. Rogers. CURE; Oct. 23, 2025. https://www.curetoday.com/view/insights-into-advancing-care-and-research-in-hairy-cell-leukemia

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Dr. Alessandro Gozzetti highlights fertility and reproductive health as often overlooked but vital aspects of survivorship in hairy cell leukemia.

Insights on Fertility and Survivorship in Hairy Cell Leukemia

According to Dr. Alessandro Gozzetti, fertility and reproductive health are overlooked but crucial aspects of survivorship for patients with hairy cell leukemia. At the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation 2025 Conference, he highlighted the importance of addressing these issues, drawing on both clinical experience and the limited literature on hairy cell leukemia in pregnancy and fertility outcomes.

His session emphasized the need for systematic data collection to better understand how hairy cell leukemia treatment affects fertility and to support patients in returning to a normal life.

Gozzetti is an associate professor in the Department of Medical, Surgical, and Neuroscience Sciences at the University of Siena, specializing in medical sciences with a focus on blood diseases.

Your session at the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation 2025 Conference focuses on hairy cell leukemia and fertility, an area that is often under-discussed but critical to patient survivorship. What inspired you to bring attention to this topic, and what key insights do you hope clinicians and patients take away from your presentation?

It happened that I faced a young woman who had received a hairy cell leukemia diagnosis. She was 32 years old, and she was pregnant in the first trimester. As a clinician, I always [want] to treat the patient as best as I can, and when you see a pregnant woman, this motivates one even more to be careful with the woman and the child. Therefore, I was interested in seeing what was reported in the literature about hairy cell leukemia and pregnancy, and only 15 cases were reported. I thought this was an important occasion to report how we faced and successfully treated our patient in this field.

There is also another point of interest, which is that for the many patients that we treated in the past, many younger women and men, we don't even know what their fertility outcome is or if they had children. Therefore, this is a thing that must be explored and must be collected.

We have the occasion to have this wonderful Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation 2025 Conference. We have this wonderful registry, which is being made. So, this is really an occasion to collect data about patients treated in pregnancy to enlarge the data, and also collect data about fertility, which is a very, very important thing for the patient to have a normal life and go back to a normal life.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

Dr. Alessandro Gozzetti

Hairy Cell Leukemia Experts Impart Advice on Care and Support

Insights on Fertility and Survivorship in Hairy Cell Leukemia

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