Active clinical trials for "Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma"

The aim of this study is to test feasibility and efficacy of a dose reduced chemotherapy in elderly patients with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The regimen consists of induction phase I and II followed by cyclic consolidation cycles, reinduction and maintenance therapy

Patients are being asked to participate in this study because treatment for their disease requires a stem cell transplant (SCT). Stem cells are the source of normal blood cells found in the bone marrow and lead to recovery of blood counts after bone marrow transplantation. With stem cell transplants, regardless of whether the donor is a full match to the patient or not, there is a risk of developing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). GVHD is a serious and sometimes fatal side effect of SCT. GVHD occurs when the new donor stem cells (graft) recognizes that the body tissues of the patient (host) are different from those of the donor. When this happens, cells in the graft may attack the host organs. How much this happens and how severe the GVHD is depends on many things, including how different the donors cells are, the strength of the drugs given in preparation for the transplant, the quality of transplanted cells and the age of the person receiving the transplant. Typically, acute GVHD occurs in the first 100 days following transplant, while chronic GVHD occurs after day 100. Acute GVHD most often involves the skin, where it can cause anywhere from a mild rash to complete removal of skin; liver, where it can anywhere from a rise in liver function tests to liver failure; and the gut, where it can cause anywhere from mild diarrhea to profuse, life-threatening diarrhea. Most patients who develop GVHD experience a mild to moderate form, but some patients develop the severe, life-threatening form. Previous studies have shown that patients who receive SCT's can have a lower number of special T cells in their blood, called regulatory T cells, than people who have not received stem cell transplants. When regulatory T cells are low, there appears to be an increased rate of severe, acute GVHD. A drug known as IL-2 (Proleukin) has been shown to increase the number of regulatory T cells in patients following stem cell transplant, and in this study investigators plan to give low dose IL-2 after transplant. This study is called a phase II study because its major purpose is to find out whether using a low-dose of IL-2 will be effective in preventing acute GVHD. Other important purposes are to find out if this treatment helps the patient's immune system recover regulatory T cells faster after the transplant. This study will assess the safety and toxicity of low-dose IL-2 given to patients after transplantation and determine whether this drug is helpful in preventing GVHD.

This study will try to improve the safety and effectiveness of stem cell transplant procedures in patients with cancers of the blood. It will use a special machine to separate immune cells (T cells) from the blood of both the donor and the patient and will use photodepletion, a laboratory procedure that selectively kills cancer cells exposed to light. These special procedures may reduce the risk of graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), a serious complication of stem cell transplants in which the donor's immune cells destroy the patient's healthy tissues, and at the same time may permit a greater graft-versus-leukemia effect, in which the donated cells fight any residual tumor cells that might remain in the body. Patients between 18 and 75 years of age with a life-threatening disease of the bone marrow (acute or chronic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or myeloproliferative syndrome) may be eligible for this study. Candidates must have a family member who is a suitable tissue match.

This randomized phase III trial is studying low-dose vincristine to see how well it works compared with high-dose vincristine when given together with different combination chemotherapy regimens in treating young patients with intermediate-risk relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy 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) and giving the drugs in different ways and different doses may kill more cancer cells..

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.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cytarabine and clofarabine, 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 cytarabine together with clofarabine works in treating patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

This randomized phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vorinostat when given together with idarubicin in treating patients with relapsed or refractory leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as vorinostat and idarubicin, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Vorinostat may also stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving vorinostat together with idarubicin may kill more cancer cells.

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.

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some find cancer cells and kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them. Others interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Giving rituximab before chemotherapy may be an effective treatment for B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well rituximab works in treating young patients who are planning to receive chemotherapy for B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of SB-715992 in treating patients who have acute leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, or advanced myelodysplastic syndromes. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as SB-715992, work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die