Active clinical trials for "Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell"

RATIONALE: Photodynamic therapy uses light and drugs that make cancer cells more sensitive to light to kill cancer cells. Photosensitizing drugs such as aminolevulinic acid are absorbed by cancer cells and, when exposed to light, become active and kill the cancer cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to study the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy using aminolevulinic acid in treating patients who have cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, B-cell lymphoma, or early chronic lymphocytic leukemia involving the skin.

The treatment combination of Rituxan® (rituximab) and fludarabine has previously been reported to produce a high percentage of responses with less toxicity than other combination treatments. However, some leukemia subjects continue to have leukemia despite treatment with these standard anticancer drug therapies, or they may work for only a short period of time. In some subjects, when the leukemia does not respond well to therapy the leukemia cells may be over-producing one or more proteins. One of these proteins is called Bcl-2. Bcl-2 is a protein that appears to protect cancer cells from being killed and thus lengthens the life of the cancer cells. Genasense® (oblimersen sodium) is a compound that blocks production of the Bcl-2 protein. By first lowering levels of Bcl-2, it is possible that chemotherapy drugs may work more effectively as a cancer treatment. Genasense® may also directly kill CLL cells. This study will test whether treating subjects with Genasense®, fludarabine and rituximab is safe and effective.

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of decitabine and valproic acid in treating patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia or previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as decitabine, work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Valproic acid may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth. Combining decitabine with valproic acid may kill more cancer cells.

This phase II trial studies how well tipifarnib works in treating patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Tipifarnib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Tipifarnib may be an effective treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

This phase II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of alemtuzumab when given together with fludarabine phosphate and total-body irradiation followed by cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil in treating patients who are undergoing a donor stem cell transplant for hematologic cancer. Giving low doses of chemotherapy, such as fludarabine phosphate, a monoclonal antibody, such as alemtuzumab, and radiation therapy before a donor stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cancer cells. Giving chemotherapy or radiation therapy before or after transplant also stops the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's bone marrow stem cells. The donated stem cells may replace the patient's immune cells and help destroy any remaining cancer cells (graft-versus-tumor effect). Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can also make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil after the transplant may stop this from happening.

The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if lenalidomide (Revlimid®) can help to control CLL in patients who have already received standard therapy. The safety of lenalidomide will also be studied.

The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if dasatinib can help to control Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). The safety of the drug will also be studied. Optional Procedures: You will be asked to have additional blood samples drawn. These samples will be used to see how the disease is responding to the drug.

RATIONALE: Giving chemotherapy drugs, such as fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, and total-body irradiation before a donor umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cancer cells and prepares the patient's bone marrow for the stem cells. When the healthy stem cells from a donor are infused into the patient they may help the patient's bone marrow make stem cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving fludarabine and cyclophosphamide together with total-body irradiation works in treating patients who are undergoing an umbilical cord blood transplant for hematologic cancer.

Bone marrow stem cell transplants (otherwise called bone marrow transplants) from healthy donors are sometimes the only means of curing hematological malignant diseases such as acute and chronic leukemias, myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloproliferative diseases and lymphomas. Before transplant the patient receives chemotherapy and radiation treatment to reduce the malignancy to low levels and to prevent rejection of the transplant. The transplant restores the blood counts to normal and replaces the patients immunity with that of the donor. The donors immune cells increase the effect of the transplant by attacking remaining malignant cells. Donor immune cells (especially those called T lymphocytes) also attack healthy non-cancerous cells and tissues of the recipient causing "graft-versus-host-disease" (GVHD). Strong GVHD reactions occurring within weeks after the transplant can be life-threatening . In this study we remove most of the T lymphocytes from the transplant to minimize the risk of GVHD. However to improve immunity against residual malignant cells and boost immunity to infections, donor T cells (stored frozen at time of transplant) are given back around 90 days after the transplant when they have a reduced risk of causing serious GVHD. Any patient between 10 and 75 years of age with acute or chronic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloproliferative syndromes or lymphoma, who have a family member who is a suitable stem cell donor may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and various tests and examinations.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether HuMax-CD20 (ofatumumab) is effective in the treatment of patients failing both fludarabine and alemtuzumab.