Active clinical trials for "Preleukemia"

MS-275 may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as azacitidine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving MS-275 together with azacitidine may kill more cancer cells. This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of MS-275 when given together with azacitidine in treating patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, or acute myeloid leukemia.

RATIONALE: A bone marrow transplant from a brother or sister may be able to replace blood-forming cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Colony-stimulating factors, such as G-CSF, cause the body to make blood cells. Giving G-CSF to the donor may help the body make more stem cells that can be collected for bone marrow transplant and may cause fewer side effects in the patient after the transplant. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects of donor bone marrow transplant and to see how well it works in treating young patients with cancer or a non-cancerous disease.

RATIONALE: Paricalcitol is a form of vitamin D that may help myelodysplastic cells develop into normal bone marrow cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of paricalcitol in treating patients who have myelodysplastic syndrome.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of the oral iron chelator Deferasirox on liver iron content after one year of treatment in patients with iron overload from repeated blood transfusions. Beta-thalassemia patients unable to be treated with deferoxamine or patients with rare chronic anemias such as Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Fanconi's Syndrome, Blackfan-Diamond Syndrome, and Pure Red Blood Cell Anemia are eligible for this study. Liver iron content will be measured by liver biopsy at the beginning of the study and after one year of treatment. However, those patients living in the San Francisco/Oakland area may have a SQUID in place of the liver biopsy if the biopsy is not medically possible for them. The SQUID is a non-invasive magnetic means to measure liver iron content.

RATIONALE: Peripheral stem cell transplantation may be able to replace immune cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor are rejected by the body's normal cells. Ultraviolet-B light therapy given before and after allogeneic stem cell transplantation may help prevent this from happening. PURPOSE: Clinical trial to study the effectiveness of combining ultraviolet-B light therapy with allogeneic stem cell transplantation in treating patients who have hematologic malignancies.

The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if decitabine (given at 3 different doses) can help to control Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). The safety of these 3 treatments will also be studied.

RATIONALE: Cholecalciferol (vitamin D) may improve quality of life by increasing blood counts, decreasing fatigue, and improving other symptoms of myelodysplastic syndrome. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well cholecalciferol works in treating patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.

RATIONALE: Giving low doses of chemotherapy, such as fludarabine and busulfan, 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 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 cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil after the transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects of giving busulfan and fludarabine together with total-body irradiation and to see how well they work in treating patients who are undergoing a donor stem cell transplant for hematologic cancer.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of the combination of all-trans retinoic acid in combination with one of two schedules of Bryostatin 1 in patients with myelodysplasia and acute myelogenous leukemia.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Peripheral stem cell transplantation may be able to replace immune cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy used to kill tumor cells. Sometimes the transplanted cells are rejected by the body's normal tissues. Drugs such as cyclosporine may prevent this from happening. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy followed by peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating patients who have chronic myelogenous leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome.