Active clinical trials for "Myelodysplastic Syndromes"

RATIONALE: Giving chemotherapy and total-body irradiation before a donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant 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 cells and help destroy any remaining cancer cells (graft-versus-tumor effect). Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can also make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving tacrolimus, sirolimus, antithymocyte globulin, and methotrexate before and after transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well sirolimus, tacrolimus, and antithymocyte globulin work in preventing graft-versus-host disease in patients undergoing a donor stem cell transplant for hematological cancer .

RATIONALE: Giving low doses of chemotherapy, such as fludarabine, and radiation therapy before a donor bone marrow or stem cell transplant 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). Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can also make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus after transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying cyclophosphamide and/or mycophenolate mofetil with or without tacrolimus to see which is the best regimen in treating patients who are undergoing a donor bone marrow or stem cell transplant for hematologic cancer.

RATIONALE: Alemtuzumab, tacrolimus, and methylprednisolone may be an effective treatment for graft-versus-host disease caused by a donor stem cell transplant. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving alemtuzumab together with tacrolimus and methylprednisolone works in treating acute graft-versus-host disease in patients who have undergone donor stem cell transplant.

RATIONALE: Tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil may be an effective treatment for graft-versus-host disease caused by donor stem cell transplantation. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving tacrolimus together with mycophenolate mofetil works in preventing acute graft-versus-host disease in patients who are undergoing donor stem cell transplantation for advanced hematologic cancer.

RATIONALE: Antifungal therapy with liposomal nystatin may reduce fever and neutropenia in patients undergoing treatment for hematologic cancer. It is not yet known whether liposomal nystatin is more effective than standard amphotericin B in treating patients with fever and neutropenia who are receiving chemotherapy for hematologic cancer or bone marrow transplantation for leukemia. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to study the effectiveness of liposomal nystatin compared with standard amphotericin B to treat fever and neutropenia in patients receiving chemotherapy for hematologic cancer or bone marrow transplantation for leukemia.

RATIONALE: Thalidomide may stop or slow the growth of cancer cells. Epoetin alfa may stimulate red blood cell production. Combining thalidomide with epoetin alfa may improve anemia, decrease the need for blood transfusions, and improve the quality of life in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining thalidomide with epoetin alfa in treating anemia in patients who have myelodysplastic syndrome.

RATIONALE: Antiemetic drugs, such as ondansetron, may help to reduce or prevent nausea and vomiting in patients with advanced cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying how well ondansetron works compared to a placebo in treating patients with advanced cancer and chronic nausea and vomiting that is not caused by cancer therapy.

RATIONALE: Giving St. John's wort may be effective in relieving fatigue in patients with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy or hormone therapy. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to determine the effectiveness of St. John's wort in relieving fatigue in patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or hormone therapy for cancer.

RATIONALE: Antibiotic therapy may prevent the development of infection in patients with hematologic cancer and the persistent fever caused by a low white blood cell count. It is not yet known which regimen of antibiotics is most effective in preventing infection in these patients. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to study the effectiveness of piperacillin-tazobactam with or without vancomycin in reducing fever in patients who have leukemia, lymphoma, or Hodgkin's disease.

This randomized clinical trial studies standard GVHD prophylaxis with tacrolimus and methotrexate compared to tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and a reduced-dose methotrexate in patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant. Both mycophenolate mofetil and reduced-dose methotrexate, in combination with a calcineurin inhibitor, have been shown to be safe and effective in GVHD prevention with less toxicity than standard dose methotrexate. It is not yet known, however, whether this combination of mycophenolate mofetil and reduced-dose methotrexate with tacrolimus is more effective than tacrolimus and standard dose methotrexate in preventing GVHD.