Active clinical trials for "Plasmacytoma"

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as arsenic trioxide and dexamethasone, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Thalidomide may stop the growth of multiple myeloma by blocking blood flow to the cancer. Giving arsenic trioxide together with ascorbic acid, dexamethasone, and thalidomide may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving arsenic trioxide together with ascorbic acid, dexamethasone, and thalidomide work in treating patients with multiple myeloma.

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies such as rituximab can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Biological therapies such as interferon alfa-2b use different ways to stimulate the immune system and stop cancer cells from growing. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of rituximab or interferon alfa-2b in treating patients who have chronic lymphocytic leukemia or multiple myeloma in remission.

RATIONALE: Cyclosporine eye drops may prevent graft-versus-host disease of the eye in patients who have undergone donor stem cell transplant for hematologic cancer or bone marrow failure disorder. PURPOSE: This randomized phase I trial is studying how well cyclosporine eye drops work in preventing graft-versus-host disease of the eye in patients who have undergone donor stem cell transplant for hematologic cancer or bone marrow failure disorder.

RATIONALE: Bortezomib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as arsenic trioxide and melphalan, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving high-dose combination chemotherapy together with bortezomib may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of bortezomib when given together with arsenic trioxide and melphalan in treating patients undergoing an autologous stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as melphalan, arsenic trioxide, and ascorbic acid, work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Arsenic trioxide and ascorbic acid may also help melphalan kill more cancer cells by making them more sensitive to the drugs. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving melphalan together with arsenic trioxide and ascorbic acid works in treating patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

RATIONALE: Chemoprevention therapy is the use of certain drugs to try to prevent the development or recurrence of cancer. Dehydroepiandrosterone and clarithromycin may be effective in preventing multiple myeloma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of dehydroepiandrosterone with that of clarithromycin in treating patients who may be at a high risk of developing multiple myeloma.

RATIONALE: Giving low doses of chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, and radiation therapy 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 when they do not exactly match the patient's blood. 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 cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil before transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects of alemtuzumab, fludarabine, and melphalan with or without cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and total-body irradiation before donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant and to see how well they work in treating patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic cancer.

This study is being done to evaluate whether the combination of immune therapy and radiation therapy to plasmacytoma that can stimulate the immune system to attack and eliminate the abnormal cells in the bone marrow and perhaps delay or prevent the cancer from worsening. This study will evaluate whether the immune system responds to the combination of radiation with immunotherapy. It is possible that that the combination of immune therapy and radiation may not make any difference in whether or not the patient will develop multiple myeloma in the future.

RATIONALE: Epoetin alfa may cause the body to make more red blood cells. It is used to treat anemia in patients with multiple myeloma. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well epoetin alfa works in treating anemia in patients undergoing chemotherapy for multiple myeloma.

RATIONALE: Epoetin alfa and darbepoetin alfa may cause the body to make more red blood cells. They are used to treat anemia caused by chemotherapy in patients with cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying four different schedules of epoetin alfa or darbepoetin alfa to compare how well they work in treating patients with anemia caused by chemotherapy.