Active clinical trials for "Leukemia"

RATIONALE: Giving chemotherapy before a donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant helps stop both the growth of cancer cells and 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 chemotherapy, such as fludarabine and melphalan, and antithymocyte globulin before transplant and cyclosporine and methotrexate after transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well donor stem cell transplant, using low-dose chemotherapy and antithymocyte globulin, followed by donor white blood cell infusions work in treating young patients with hematologic cancer.

Background: Large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia is a low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. LGL is associated with low numbers of white blood cells (leading to recurring infections), red blood cells (causing anemia) and platelets (causing abnormal bleeding). Cyclosporine (CSA) is an immunosuppressive drug that improves low blood cell counts in about 50 percent of patients with LGL leukemia. Objectives: To identify what factors determine why cyclosporine works in some patients and not in others. To identify what causes low blood counts in LGL leukemia. Eligibility: Patients 18 years of age and older with LGL leukemia. Design: Patients have a medical history, physical examination blood tests, bone marrow biopsy and x-ray studies, including chest x-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. Patients with an easily accessible enlarged lymph node have a node biopsy (removal of a small piece of tissue for microscopic examination). Patients take cyclosporine twice a day by mouth. Blood samples are taken at least weekly to adjust the cyclosporine dosing to maintain therapeutic serum levels. Patients undergo apheresis (collection of white blood cells) at a number of different time points in the study (maximum 6 times) to look at the differences in the leukemia cells before and during treatment with cyclosporine. For apheresis, blood is withdrawn through a needle in an arm vein and directed through a catheter (plastic tube) into a machine that separates it into its components. The white cells are extracted and the rest of the blood is returned through the same needle or through a second needle in the other arm.

The primary objective is to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose limiting toxicity (DLT), and safety profile of TKI258 when administered to subjects with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine and mitoxantrone, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving gemcitabine together with mitoxantrone works in treating patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: Patients with cancers of the blood and immune system often benefit from transplants of stem cells from a genetically well-matched sibling. However, severe problems may follow these transplants because of the high-dose chemotherapy and radiation that accompany the procedure. Also, donated immune cells sometimes attack healthy tissues in a reaction called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), damaging organs such as the liver, intestines and skin. To reduce toxicity of high-dose preparative chemotherapy, this study performs allogeneic transplant after low doses of chemotherapy. In an attempt to improve anti-tumor effects without increasing GVHD, this study uses donor immune cells (T helper 2 (Th2) cells) grown in the laboratory; some patients will receive standard donor immune cells (not grown in laboratory). All patients will receive immune modulating drugs sirolimus and cyclosporine to prevent GVHD. Objective: To determine the safety, treatment effects and rate of GVHD in patients receiving transplants that use low-intensity chemotherapy, sirolimus plus cyclosporine, and transplant booster with either Th2 cells or standard immune cells. Eligibility: Patients 16 to 75 years of age with acute or chronic leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, or myelodysplastic syndrome. Patients must have a suitable genetically matched sibling donor and adequate kidney, heart and lung function. Design: The protocol has three treatment groups: cohort 1, Th2 booster at two weeks post-transplant; cohort 2, standard T cell booster at two weeks post-transplant; cohort 3, multiple infusion of Th2 cells. Condition: Hematologic Neoplasms, Myeloproliferative Disorders Intervention: Biological; therapeutic allogeneic lymphocytes Drug: Sirolimus Study Type: Interventional Study Design: Primary Purpose: Treatment Phase: Phase II

Objectives: Determine the corrected count increment of autologous transfused platelets that had been stored by cryopreservation with ThromboSol. Determine the ability of autologous platelets that had been stored by cryopreservation with ThromboSol to correct thrombocytopenia.

The goal of this clinical research study is to see if higher doses of imatinib mesylate (Gleevec, STI571) can improve chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in chronic phase.

Primary Objectives: To evaluate response rates of acute or chronic Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following CD8 depleted DLI (Depleted Donor Lymphocyte Infusions) in patients with Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL), Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NLM), Multiple Myeloma (MM) and Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HD). Secondary Objectives: To evaluate safety and treatment related mortality after CD8 depleted DLI. To evaluate the time to onset of GVHD following DLI and response to GVHD treatment. To evaluate the incidence and timing of pancytopenia following DLI. To evaluate disease-free survival, overall survival and relapse rates in three cohorts of patients; early relapse CML, late relapse CML and lymphoproliferative disorders (HD, CLL, NHL and MM). To evaluate the need and efficacy of second or subsequent CD8 depleted donor lymphocyte infusions. To evaluate the number of apheresis procedures needed to collect appropriate doses of CD4+ cells.

This phase I trial is studying the side effects of monoclonal antibody therapy in treating patients with ovarian epithelial cancer, melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or non-small cell lung cancer. Monoclonal antibodies can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with bone marrow transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage cancer cells. Combining chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and bone marrow transplantation may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare high-dose chemotherapy with or without total-body irradiation before bone marrow transplantation in treating children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.