Active clinical trials for "Myelodysplastic Syndromes"

RATIONALE: American ginseng may reduce fatigue in patients with cancer. It is not yet known whether American ginseng is more effective than a placebo in treating cancer-related fatigue. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying American ginseng to see how well it works in treating patients with fatigue caused by cancer.

RATIONALE: Tests that measure certain changes in blood in patients at high risk of cytomegalovirus infection may help doctors learn more about predicting cytomegalovirus infection after donor stem cell transplant. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying tests that measure changes in the blood in patients at high risk of cytomegalovirus infection after undergoing donor bone marrow transplant or peripheral stem cell transplant.

The purpose of this study is to study the pharmacokinetics of anidulafungin (Ecalta ®) given intravenously as antifungal prophylaxis to recipients of an allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant following myeloablative chemotherapy or patients receiving intensive chemotherapy for AML-MDS who are at high risk for developing invasive fungal disease.

RATIONALE: Lithium carbonate may be an effective treatment for intestinal graft-versus-host disease caused by a donor stem cell transplant. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying lithium carbonate in treating patients with acute intestinal graft-versus-host-disease after donor stem cell transplant.

RATIONALE: Listening to relaxing music during a bone marrow biopsy may be effective in reducing anxiety and pain. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying how well music works in reducing anxiety and pain in adult patients undergoing bone marrow biopsy for hematologic cancers or other diseases.

RATIONALE: Antiemetic drugs, such as aprepitant, granisetron, and dexamethasone, may help lessen or prevent nausea and vomiting in patients treated with chemotherapy. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well giving aprepitant together with granisetron and dexamethasone works in preventing nausea and vomiting in patients receiving cyclophosphamide before undergoing an autologous stem cell transplant.

Clofarabine (injection) is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of pediatric patients 1 to 21 years old with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who have had at least 2 prior treatment regimens. This research study of clofarabine will be used for advanced cancer in persons in which drugs are no longer effective or no reliable effective treatment is available. The purpose of this study is to find the answers to the following research questions: What is the largest dose of clofarabine that can be safely administered as an IV infusion (over at least 2 hours) once a week for 3 weeks (days 1, 8 and 15) followed by 1 week of rest and repeated every 28 days? What are the side effects of clofarabine when given on this schedule? How much clofarabine is in the blood at specific times after administration and how does the body get rid of the drug? Once the MTD/RP2D is established, patients will be enrolled at the MTD/RP2D regardless of the PK data with cardiac assessments done every other cycle. Will clofarabine help treat a specific cancer?

The purpose of this study is to determine whether patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) treated with azacitidine have improved survival compared to conventional care treatments. The study will also assess the effect of treatments on response, duration of response, and transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The study will continue for 12 months following last patient enrolled. See study AZA PH GL 2003 CL 001 E for information about the extension to this study.

RATIONALE: Different drug formulations and combinations of drugs may help patients with chronic pain live more comfortably. It is not yet known which regimen is most effective for chronic pain. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of different morphine formulations with or without dextromethorphan in treating chronic pain in patients who have advanced cancer.

RATIONALE: Colony-stimulating factors such as sargramostim may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood and may help a person's immune system recover from the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Giving sargramostim to the stem cell donor and the patient may reduce the chance of developing graft-versus-host disease following stem cell transplantation. PURPOSE: Clinical trial to study the effectiveness of sargramostim in decreasing graft-versus-host disease in patients who are undergoing donor stem cell transplantation for hematologic cancer or aplastic anemia.