Active clinical trials for "Plasmacytoma"

RATIONALE: Giving low doses of chemotherapy, such as fludarabine and busulfan, before a donor bone marrow or 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 system and help destroy any remaining cancer cells (graft-versus-tumor effect). Giving an infusion of the donor's T cells (donor lymphocyte infusion) after the transplant may help increase this effect. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can also make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving antithymocyte globulin before transplant and methotrexate and tacrolimus after the transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects of donor stem cell transplant in treating older or frail patients with hematologic cancer.

RATIONALE: Biological therapies, such as antithymocyte globulin may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop cancer cells from growing. Sirolimus may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. It may also prevent or reduce the side effects of antithymocyte globulin. Giving antithymocyte globulin together with sirolimus may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of antithymocyte globulin when given together with sirolimus in treating patients with relapsed multiple myeloma.

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 melphalan, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Ascorbic acid may help melphalan work better by making cancer cells more sensitive to the drug. Giving bortezomib together with ascorbic acid and melphalan may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving bortezomib together with ascorbic acid and melphalan works in treating patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

RATIONALE: Giving chemotherapy, such as melphalan and busulfan, before a donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cancer cells. It also helps stop the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells. When the healthy stem cells from a donor are infused into the patient they may help the patient's bone marrow make stem cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving tacrolimus and methotrexate before or after transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving melphalan together with busulfan followed by donor peripheral stem cell transplant, tacrolimus, and methotrexate works in treating patients with multiple myeloma.

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. Ascorbic acid may help arsenic trioxide work better by making cancer cells more sensitive to the drug. Bortezomib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Thalidomide may stop the growth of cancer cells by stopping blood flow to the cancer. Giving arsenic trioxide and ascorbic acid together with bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone may stop the growth of and kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of arsenic trioxide when given together with ascorbic acid, bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone in treating patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma or plasma cell leukemia.

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.

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.