A new cancer drug called 2-CdA proved nearly 100 % effective in 12 patients with hairy cell leukemia . The patients underwent just a seven day treatment and suffered almost none of the usual debilitating side effects associated with chemotherapy , yet , they have been cancer free for four years . Longer follow-up is necessary to determine whether 2-CdA actually cures the disease. Results must be replicated by other researchers before definitive conclusions can be made . The drug is easy to produce and likely to be less expensive . Dr. Lawrence Piro of the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation said it has also been used effectively in initial trials to treat more common forms of leukemia .
A new cancer drug called 2-CdA proved nearly 100 % effective in 12 patients with hairy cell leukemia . The patients underwent just a seven day treatment and suffered almost none of the usual debilitating side effects associated with chemotherapy , yet , they have been cancer free for four years . Results must be replicated by other researchers before definitive conclusions can be made . The drug is easy to produce and likely to be less expensive . Dr. Lawrence Piro of the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation said it has also been used effectively in initial trials to treat more common forms of leukemia .