Active clinical trials for "Hematologic Neoplasms"

The aim of the current study is to improve the outcome of patients with hematologic malignancies (in a phase I trial) and more specifically multiple myeloma (in a phase II trial) by 2 interventions: reduce the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and improve the efficacy of the procedure decreasing the risk of relapses after transplant. Currently, the standard approach used in most centers to prevent graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic transplantation is based on the combination of a calcineurin inhibitor (cyclosporine or tacrolimus) plus a short course of methotrexate. Unfortunately, this strategy is far from ideal, since the risk of acute GVHD is in the range of 30-40% among patients receiving a matched related donor transplantation and even higher among patients receiving transplantation from an unrelated donor while the incidence of chronic GVHD is 60-70% among patients receiving peripheral blood progenitor cells from either a related or unrelated donor. As far as the patients with multiple myeloma (MM) is concerned, although the development of new drugs has markedly changed the outcome and management of these patients, allogeneic transplantation so far appears to be the only curative option, especially among those patients relapsing after first line treatment. Nevertheless, still new strategies within the allogeneic transplant setting are needed to improve its results. Relapses may occur either extramedullary (very common in this setting) or systemic. In order to reduce the risk of systemic relapses the investigators will use maintenance therapy with Lenalidomide (Len) which, together with bortezomib (Bz) should contribute to eradicate minimal residual disease (MRD). In case the patient do not obtain complete remission or near complete remission after transplant, in addition to the maintenance therapy, the investigators will use four intensification cycles with VRD (Bz-Len-Dexamethasone). In summary, the goal is to optimize the efficacy of allogeneic transplantation by two interventions: one focused on reducing the risk of relapse and the other on reducing the incidence of GVHD.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of targeted marrow irradiation when given with fludarabine phosphate and busulfan before donor progenitor cell transplant in treating patients with hematologic malignancies. Targeted marrow irradiation is a type of specialized radiation therapy that delivers a high dose of radiation directly to the cancer cells, which may kill more cancer cells and cause less damage to normal cells. Giving targeted marrow irradiation and chemotherapy drugs, such as fludarabine phosphate and busulfan, before a donor progenitor cell transplant may help stop the growth of cancer cells. It may also stop the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's progenitor cells. When the healthy progenitor cells from a donor are infused into the patient they may help the patient's bone marrow make progenitor cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if the drug, Pasireotide, is safe and effective in reducing the gastrointestinal side effects of the drugs received to prepare for allogeneic stem cell transplant. The study will also evaluate if Pasireotide is effective in reducing acute and chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease (GvHD) after transplant.

This randomized phase III trial studies how well graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis works in treating patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing unrelated donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant. Giving chemotherapy and total-body irradiation before a donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT) helps stop the growth of cancer cells. It may also stop the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's 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 total-body irradiation (TBI) together with fludarabine phosphate (FLU), cyclosporine (CSP), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), or sirolimus before transplant may stop this from happening.

The primary goal of the study is to determine the incidence and severity of acute Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD) following human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matched related donor Hematopoetic Stem Cell(HSC) transplant in patients with blood related cancers who receive the combination of tacrolimus and Thymoglobulin as GVHD prophylaxis. The investigators also will determine the safety of this combination in the first six months post transplant. Secondary goals include determining the time to recovery of white blood cells and platelets (engraftment), determining the occurrence of opportunistic infections, defined as infection that occurs in people with weakened immune systems and caused by organisms that do not normally cause disease (fungal infections, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), and viral infections), estimating the incidence of chronic GVHD at two years and the overall and disease free survival at two years. Immune response will be assessed by means of immuno-correlative studies both prior to and at various points after transplant.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of arsenic trioxide in treating patients who have advanced hematologic cancer.

The goal of this clinical research study is to learn about the safety of giving a stem cell transplant from a tissue-mismatched donor, followed by cyclophosphamide, to patients with certain types of blood disorders or blood cancers. Melphalan, thiotepa, and fludarabine will also be given before the transplant. Researchers will study the health status of these patients at 3 months after the transplant.

The purpose of this study is to develop a way of treating patients who do not have a completely matched family donor or a readily available unrelated donor with bone marrow transplant by using a partially-matched family donor. Patients receiving this type of transplant will receive chemotherapy and/or radiation to treat their disease. They will also receive their donor's cells in 2 parts. During the first part, the donor's lymphocytes will be exposed to one of the chemotherapy agents to help the patient become tolerant to the lymphocytes. In the second part of the transplant, the patient will receive their donor's stem cells to help recover their peripheral blood counts and establish long-term engraftment. The hypothesis of this study is that in partially-matched allogeneic transplant, there is a defined number of donor T-cells that can be treated and given to the recipient to avoid post-transplant infection without causing severe graft-versus-host disease.

The purpose of this study is to test the safety of adding donor dendritic cells to donor lymphocyte infusions, and to determine the type and severity of any side effects associated with this addition. Previously patients with hematologic malignancies who relapsed after transplant have been given infusions of donor white blood cells (donor lymphocyte infusion, DLI) as a way to boost their immune function and fight disease. Although DLI has led to cancer regression in some patients, the overall response rate using DLI alone is low, and unfortunately, rarely lasting. Researchers have discovered a new subset of blood cells, called dendritic cells (DC), which are crucial partners to lymphocytes in generating an immune response. We believe that the infusion of DC together with DLI may improve the ability of the donor lymphocytes to recognize and kill cancer cells.

This single center study will help determine the absorption, metabolism, and excretion of LBH589 and to assess the safety and efficacy of LBH589 in advanced cancer patients for whom no standard therapy exists.