Vemurafenib plus Rituximab in Refractory or Relapsed Hairy-Cell Leukemia

Hairy-cell leukemia (HCL) is a CD20+ indolent B-cell cancer in which BRAF V600E kinase–activating mutation plays pathogenetic role. In clinical trials involving patients with refractory or relapsed HCL, the targeting of oral inhibitor vemurafenib led to response 91% patients; 35% had complete response. However, median relapse-free survival was only 9 months after treatment stopped.