Active clinical trials for "Multiple Myeloma"

RATIONALE: Thalidomide may stop the growth of cancer cells by stopping blood flow to the cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplant may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more cancer cells. Giving thalidomide before and after peripheral stem cell transplant may be effective in treating newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving thalidomide with chemotherapy and peripheral stem cell transplant work in treating patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

Randomized subjects will receive CC-5013 plus high-dose dexamethasone or placebo appearing identical to CC-5013 plus high-dose dexamethasone in 4-week cycles. Each subject will participate in a treatment phase and a follow-up phase.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Motexafin gadolinium may increase the effectiveness of doxorubicin by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drug. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of combining motexafin gadolinium with doxorubicin in treating patients who have recurrent or metastatic cancer.

Velcade (bortezomib, PS-341) has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of multiple myeloma for patients who have received at least one prior therapy. Velcade is a unique compound developed by scientists at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Velcade enters cells and affects the way they divide. Cancer cells are particularly sensitive. Velcade interferes with the enzyme "proteasome" which is responsible for allowing cells to divide. When cancer cells cannot divide, they die. Velcade falls into the class of drugs known as "proteasome inhibitors."

This phase II trial is studying how well temsirolimus works in treating patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Drugs used in chemotherapy such as temsirolimus work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die.

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and activity of SGN-40 in a weekly dosage schedule as a single agent.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy consisting of liposomal doxorubicin, vincristine, and dexamethasone in treating patients with newly diagnosed or previously treated multiple myeloma.

RATIONALE: Bone marrow that has been treated to remove certain white blood cells may be able to replace immune cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and may reduce the chance of developing graft-versus-host disease following bone marrow transplantation. PURPOSE: Phase IV trial to study the incidence of graft-versus-host disease in patients who have hematologic cancer and who are undergoing bone marrow transplantation from a donor.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of peripheral stem cell transplantation plus combination chemotherapy in treating patients who have multiple myeloma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of peripheral stem cell transplantation plus combination chemotherapy in treating patients who have multiple myeloma that has been treated for longer than 12 months.