Active clinical trials for "Myelodysplastic Syndromes"

RATIONALE: Peripheral stem cell transplantation may be able to replace immune cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy used to kill tumor cells. It is not yet known if total-body irradiation plus peripheral stem cell transplantation is more effective with busulfan or with cyclophosphamide for myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of busulfan with that of cyclophosphamide in patients undergoing total-body irradiation plus peripheral stem cell transplantation for advanced myelodysplastic syndrome or related acute myeloid leukemia.

Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of liposomal daunorubicin and SU5416 in treating patients who have hematologic cancer that has not responded to initial therapy. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. SU5416 may stop the growth of hematologic cancer by stopping blood flow to the cancer

RATIONALE: Bone marrow transplantation may be able to replace immune cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy used to kill tumor cells. Sometimes the transplanted cells can make an immune response against the body's normal tissues. Treatment of the donor bone marrow with the patient's white blood cells and a monoclonal antibody may prevent this from happening. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of bone marrow transplantation with specially treated bone marrow in treating patients who have hematologic cancer that has not responded to previous therapy.

Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of BMS-214662 in treating patients who have acute leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or chronic myeloid leukemia in blast phase

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known if stronger doses of chemotherapy given over a longer period of time are as well tolerated or as effective as less intensive chemotherapy. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying intensive regimens of chemotherapy to see how well they work compared to nonintensive regimens of chemotherapy in treating older patients with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome.

RATIONALE: Giving chemotherapy and total-body irradiation before a donor bone marrow transplant helps stop the growth of cancer cells. It also helps stop the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells. When the stem cells from a related or unrelated donor, that closely matches the patient's blood, are infused into the patient they may help the patient's bone marrow to make stem cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well donor bone marrow transplant works in treating patients with leukemia, lymphoma, or nonmalignant hematologic disorders.

The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if clofarabine, when given in combination with ara-C (cytarabine), can help to improve the disease's response to therapy and to increase the duration of response in patients who are 50 years or older with leukemia. The safety of this combination treatment will also be studied.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Umbilical cord blood transplantation may be able to replace cells destroyed by chemotherapy. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy followed by umbilical cord blood transplantation in treating patients who have hematologic cancer or severe aplastic anemia.

To determine if a reduction in morbidity and mortality from acute and chronic graft versus host disease (GvHD) can be achieved through use of T-cell depletion techniques without a counterbalancing increase in relapse of leukemia in patients receiving an unrelated donor marrow transplant.

Chronic anemia is the symptom most frequently found at diagnosis in low risk myelodysplastic syndrome. It generates an increased rate of morbidity and mortality in this population of patients whose median age is high and the rate of co-mobidities important. The historical treatment is limited to transfusion support with a significant impact on quality of life and the incidence of secondary haemosiderosis, which contributes to the emergence of co-morbidities, especially cardiovascular. Treatment with rHuEPO allows for overall erythroid response in 40-60% of patients treated. In this trial, the investigators intend to study the interest of a treatment with epoetin beta in patients with anemia <10 g / dL in the context of a myelodysplastic syndrome with IPSS score <1. In addition to studying the erythroid response, the investigators will measure the impact on quality of life and functional performance. Patients will receive epoetin beta (60 000UI/week). Response will be assessed after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment.