Active clinical trials for "Plasmacytoma"

RATIONALE: Biological therapies use different ways to stimulate the immune system and stop cancer cells from growing. Combining chemotherapy and peripheral stem cell transplantation with biological therapy may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of biological therapy with sargramostim, interleukin-2, and interferon alfa following chemotherapy and peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating patients who have cancer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of plasma cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Having a peripheral stem cell transplant to replace the blood-forming cells destroyed by chemotherapy, allows higher doses of chemotherapy to be given so that more plasma cells are killed. By reducing the number of plasma cells, the disease may progress more slowly. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving high-dose melphalan together with peripheral stem cell transplant works in treating patients with primary amyloidosis or amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Bone marrow transplantation may be able to replace immune cells that have been destroyed by radiation therapy used to kill tumor cells. Sometimes the transplanted cells can make an immune response against the body's normal tissues. Mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus may be an effective treatment for graft-versus-host disease caused by bone marrow transplantation. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of total-body irradiation, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil plus bone marrow transplantation in treating patients with hematologic cancers.

This clinical trial studies the side effects and best dose of giving fludarabine and total-body irradiation (TBI) together followed by a donor stem cell transplant and cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil in treating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients with or without cancer. Giving low doses of chemotherapy, such as fludarabine, and TBI before a donor bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cancer or abnormal cells and helps stop 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 cyclosporine (CSP) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) after the transplant may stop this from happening.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as fenretinide, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving fenretinide in a different way may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of intravenous fenretinide in treating patients with refractory or relapsed hematologic cancer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with dexamethasone may be an effective treatment for multiple myeloma. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining isotretinoin and dexamethasone in treating patients who have multiple myeloma.

RATIONALE: AE-941 may help to slow the growth of multiple myeloma. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of neovastat in treating patients who have relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

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 imatinib mesylate in treating patients who have advanced cancer and liver dysfunction

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Oblimersen may increase the effectiveness of dexamethasone by making cancer cells more sensitive to the drug. It is not yet known if dexamethasone is more effective with or without oblimersen in treating multiple myeloma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of dexamethasone with or without oblimersen in treating patients who have relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

RATIONALE: Giving low doses of chemotherapy, such as fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, and radiation therapy before a donor bone marrow transplant helps stop the growth of cancer cells. Giving chemotherapy or radiation therapy before or after transplant also stops the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's bone marrow stem cells. The donated stem cells may replace the patient's immune system 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 and mycophenolate mofetil after the transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving fludarabine and cyclophosphamide together with total-body irradiation works in treating patients who are undergoing a donor bone marrow transplant for hematologic cancer.