Getting diagnosed

Screening for hairy cell leukaemia

There is no national screening programme for hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) in the UK. HCL is a rare cancer.

What is cancer screening?

Screening means testing people for early stages of a disease before they have any symptoms. For screening to be useful the tests:

need to be reliable at picking up cancers
overall must do more good than harm to people taking part
must be something that people are willing to do

Screening tests are not perfect and have some risks. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS.

Why is there no screening programme for hairy cell leukaemia?

There is no national screening programme because:

this cancer is rare, so many people would have unnecessary tests
the benefits don't outweigh the costs

Talk to your GP if you are worried about your risk of developing cancer. Or if you have any symptoms of hairy cell leukaemia.

Find out about screening programmes for cancer in the UK

Last reviewed: 25 Sept 2024

Next review due: 25 Oct 2027

Symptoms of hairy cell leukaemia

Symptoms of hairy cell leukaemia can include frequent infections and swelling of the tummy. Some people don't have symptoms.

Seeing your GP

See your GP if you notice a change that isn't normal for you, or if you have any of the possible symptoms of hairy cell leukaemia.

Diagnosing hairy cell leukaemia

You usually start by seeing your GP and they might refer you to a specialist and organise tests. Find out more about tests and screening for hairy cell leukaemia.

Hairy cell leukaemia main page

Hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) is a rare type of chronic leukaemia. It develops slowly from white blood cells called B lymphocytes. Find out about this type of leukaemia.