Active clinical trials for "Myelodysplastic-Myeloproliferative Diseases"

RATIONALE: An Opioid Titration Order Sheet that allows healthcare providers to adjust the dose and schedule of pain medication may help improve pain treatment for patients with cancer. It is not yet known whether the use of an Opioid Titration Order Sheet is more effective than standard care in treating pain caused by cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying an Opioid Titration Order Sheet to see how well it works compared with standard care in treating patients with cancer pain.

RATIONALE: Providing information that is tailored to answer patients' questions about clinical trials may help patients with cancer decide to enroll in a clinical trial. It is not known whether providing personalized information is more effective than basic information in helping patients make decisions about clinical trials. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying personalized information to see how well it works compared with basic information in helping patients make decisions about participating in a clinical trial.

RATIONALE: Baclofen-amitriptyline-ketamine (BAK) gel may lessen peripheral neuropathy caused by chemotherapy. It is not yet known whether BAK gel is more effective than a placebo in treating peripheral neuropathy caused by chemotherapy . PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying BAK gel to see how well it works compared with a placebo in treating peripheral neuropathy caused by chemotherapy in patients with cancer.

This pilot phase II trial studies how well giving vorinostat, tacrolimus, and methotrexate works in preventing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after stem cell transplant in patients with hematological malignancies. Vorinostat, tacrolimus, and methotrexate may be an effective treatment for GVHD caused by a bone marrow transplant.

RATIONALE: Understanding the emotional needs of spouses or others who are living with and caring for patients who have undergone stem cell transplantation may help improve the quality of life of both the caregivers and the patients. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying the emotional needs of caregivers of patients who have undergone stem cell transplant.

RATIONALE: Voriconazole may be effective in preventing systemic fungal infections following chemotherapy. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of voriconazole in preventing systemic fungal infections in children who have neutropenia after receiving chemotherapy for leukemia, lymphoma, or aplastic anemia or in preparation for bone marrow or stem cell transplantation.

RATIONALE: Studying samples of semen from cancer survivors in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in DNA and identify biomarkers related to cancer. PURPOSE: This phase I research study is looking at the presence of donor-derived DNA in semen samples form cancer survivors who underwent donor stem cell transplant.

RATIONALE: Studying a diagnostic biomarker test in blood samples from patients who have undergone a donor stem cell transplant for cancer may help doctors plan treatment. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying an immunologic diagnostic blood test to see how well it works in predicting side-effects in patients with hematologic cancer or other disorders who have undergone a donor stem cell transplant.

RATIONALE: Studying blood samples from cancer patients undergoing pain treatment in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about how pain drugs work in the body. It may also help doctors predict how patients will respond to treatment. PURPOSE: This research study is looking at fentanyl in patients with cancer.

RATIONALE: Giving low doses of chemotherapy before a donor stem cell transplant using stem cells that closely match the patient's stem cells, helps stop the growth of cancer cells. It also stops the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells. The donated stem cells may replace the patient's immune system and help destroy any remaining cancer cells (graft-versus-tumor effect). Giving an infusion of the donor's T cells (donor lymphocyte infusion) after the transplant may help increase this effect. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can also make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving antithymocyte globulin before transplant and cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil after transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well a donor stem cell transplant works in treating patients with hematologic cancer, metastatic kidney cancer, or aplastic anemia.