A Study of Gleevec in Patients With Idiopathic Myelofibrosis or Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML)

Inclusion Criteria: Patients must have a clinical diagnosis of myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Patients may be entered based on a prior cytogenetic karyotype showing the absence of the Philadelphia chromosome. Patients may be entered prior to completion of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) studies, but a patient who is subsequently found to be BCR-ABL or FISH positive will be removed from protocol treatment. FISH will only be performed on patients with a normal karyotype. A PCR sample will be sent on all patients. The patients with myelodysplasia must have French-American-British (FAB) subtype chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) defined as peripheral blood monocytosis, and less than 30 percent blasts in the peripheral blood or the bone marrow. The patients with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia can have one of the following: agnogenic myeloid metaplasia (idiopathic myelofibrosis), or post-polycythemic myeloid metaplasia (post-polycythemic myelofibrosis), or post-thrombocythemic myeloid metaplasia. Estimated life expectancy of 6 months or greater. Serum bilirubin equal to or less than twice the upper limit of normal. Serum SGOT and SGPT equal to or less than twice the upper limit of normal. Serum creatinine equal to or less than twice the upper limit of normal. Age at least 18 years. Greater than 4 weeks from any chemotherapy (except hydroxyurea), radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or systemic glucocorticoid therapy (non-glucocorticoid hormonal therapy is allowed). Systemic glucocorticoid therapy for non-malignant disease is allowed. The last dose of hydroxyurea must be 24 hours prior to the initiation of Gleevec. Greater than 2 months following bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation or treatment with donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI). Exclusion Criteria: Uncontrolled active infection. Pregnancy or nursing mothers. Patients with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia who have transformed to acute myelogenous leukemia. Prior treatment or diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia. Patients with Philadelphia positive cytogenetics by either peripheral blood or bone marrow sampling. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status > 3. Prior exposure to Gleevec. Active central nervous system (CNS) disease. Evidence of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus. Active psychiatric or mental illness making informed consent or careful clinical follow-up unlikely.