Active clinical trials for "Anemia, Refractory"

This phase I multicenter feasibility trial is studying the safety and potential efficacy of infusing ex vivo expanded cord blood progenitors with one unmanipulated umbilical cord blood unit for transplantation following conditioning with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation (TBI), and immunosuppression with cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for patients with hematologic malignancies. Chemotherapy, such as fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, and TBI given before an umbilical cord blood transplant stops the growth of leukemia cells and works to prevent the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells. The healthy stem cells from the donor's umbilical cord blood help the patient's bone marrow make new red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. It may take several weeks for these new blood cells to grow. During that period of time, patients are at increased risk for bleeding and infection. Faster recovery of white blood cells may decrease the number and severity of infections. Studies have shown that counts are more likely to recover more quickly if increased numbers of cord blood cells are given with the transplant. We have developed a way of growing or "expanding" the number of cord blood cells in the lab so that there are more cells available for transplant. We are doing this study to find out whether or not giving these expanded cells along with one unexpanded cord blood unit is safe and if use of expanded cells can decrease the time it takes for white blood cells to recover after transplant. We will study the time it takes for blood counts to recover, which of the two cord blood units makes up the patient's new blood system, and how quickly immune system cells return

This phase I/II trial studies whether stopping cyclosporine before mycophenolate mofetil is better at reducing the risk of life-threatening graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) than the previous approach where mycophenolate mofetil was stopped before cyclosporine. The other reason this study is being done because at the present time there are no curative therapies known outside of stem cell transplantation for these types of cancer. Because of age or underlying health status, patients may have a higher likelihood of experiencing harm from a conventional blood stem cell transplant. This study tests whether this new blood stem cell transplant method can be made safer by changing the order and length of time that immune suppressing drugs are given after transplant.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of tipifarnib in treating patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. Tipifarnib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects of biological therapy and to see how well it works in treating patients with advanced myelodysplastic syndrome, chronic myeloid leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, or acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Biological therapies, including immunotherapy, can potentially be used to stimulate the immune system and stop cancer cells from growing. Immunotherapy given to patients who have undergone donor stem cell transplantation may be a way to eradicate remaining cancer cells

This clinical trial uses a laboratory test called a high throughput sensitivity assay in planning treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. The aim is to try to identify drugs that may be effective in killing leukemia cells for those patients who will not be cured with conventional chemotherapy. This assay will test multiple drugs simultaneously against a patient's own donated blood sample. The goal is to use this laboratory assay to best match a drug to a patient's disease.

The purpose of this research study is to compare the survival rates of patients with better risk disease undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) to the survival rates reported in the medical literature of similar patients undergoing reduced intensity HSCT from matched related donors.

This phase II trial is studying how well giving clofarabine and cytarabine together with filgrastim works in treating patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), advanced myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and/or advanced myeloproliferative neoplasm. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as clofarabine and cytarabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving the drugs in different doses may kill more cancer cells. Colony stimulating factors, such as filgrastim, may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood and may help the immune system recover from the side effects of chemotherapy.

This phase II trial studies the side effects and best dose of total-body irradiation when given together with fludarabine phosphate followed by a donor peripheral stem cell transplant in treating patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or myeloproliferative disorders (MPD). Giving low doses of chemotherapy, such as fludarabine phosphate, and total-body irradiation before a donor peripheral blood stem cell 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 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 and mycophenolate mofetil after the transplant may stop this from happening.

Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of XK469R in treating patients who have refractory hematologic cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such XK469R, work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die

This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of tipifarnib when given with idarubicin and cytarabine and to see how well it works in treating patients with newly diagnosed myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myeloid leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as idarubicin and cytarabine, work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Tipifarnib (Zarnestra) may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth. Giving idarubicin and cytarabine with tipifarnib may kill more cancer cells.