View clinical trials related to Leukemia.
Filter by:RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as gemtuzumab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others find cancer cells and help kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them. Giving combination chemotherapy together with gemtuzumab may kill more cancer cells. It is not yet known whether combination chemotherapy is more effective with or without gemtuzumab in treating patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying combination chemotherapy and gemtuzumab to see how well they work compared with combination chemotherapy alone in treating young patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia.
RATIONALE: Glutamic acid may help lessen or prevent nerve damage caused by vincristine. It is not yet known whether glutamic acid is more effective than a placebo in preventing nerve damage in patients receiving vincristine for Wilms' tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying glutamic acid to see how well it works compared to a placebo in reducing nerve damage caused by vincristine in young patients receiving vincristine for Wilms' tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
This phase III trial is studying how well combination chemotherapy works in treating young patients with Down syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more cancer cells.
Subjects are being asked to participate in this study because treatment of their disease requires them to receive a stem cell transplant. Stem cells or "mother" cells are the source of normal blood cells and lead to recovery of blood counts after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Unfortunately, there is not a perfectly matched stem cell donor (like a sister or brother) and the subject's disease is considered rapidly progressive and does not permit enough time to identify another donor (like someone from a registry list that is not their relative). We have, however, identified a close relative of the subject's whose stem cells are not a perfect match, but can be used. However, with this type of donor, there is typically an increased risk of developing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a high rate of transplant failure, and a longer delay in the recovery of the immune system. GVHD is a serious and sometimes fatal side effect of stem cell transplant. GVHD occurs when the new donor cells (graft) recognizes that the body tissues of the patient (host) are different from those of the donor. When this happens, cells in the graft may attack the host organs, primarily the skin, liver, and intestines. The number of occurrences and harshness of severe GVHD depends on several factors, including the degree of genetic differences between the donor and recipient, the intensity of the pre-treatment conditioning regimen, the quantity of transplanted cells, and the recipient's age. In recipients of mismatched family member or matched unrelated donor stem cell transplants, there is a greater risk of GVHD so that 70-90% of recipients of unchanged marrow will develop severe GVHD which could include symptoms such as marked diarrhea, liver failure, or even death. In an effort to lower the occurrences and severity of graft-versus-host disease in patients and to lower the rate of transplant failure, we would like to specially treat the donor's blood cells to remove cells that are most likely to attack the patient's tissues. This will occur in combination with intense conditioning treatment that the patient will receive before the transplant.
This study will test the safety and effectiveness of using lower-dose rituximab given more frequently for treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Studies have shown that, used once a week for 4 weeks, rituximab was effective in up to 25 percent of patients with CLL. New evidence shows that using lower and more frequent doses of rituximab can be more effective in destroying leukemia cells and produce a better treatment response. Patients 21 years of age and older with CLL who have received treatment with fludarabine may be eligible for this study. Participants take rituximab for 12 weeks. One dose of the drug is infused through an arm vein over about 30 minutes on either day 1 (the first dose) or day 3 (the second dose). All other doses are given as an injection under the skin. After the first week, patients can choose to do these injections at home. Rituximab will be given 3 times a week for a total of 12 weeks. Other medications are given to reduce the side effects and allergic reactions to the drug. In addition to treatment, patients undergo the following tests and procedures: Before treatment - Medical history, physical examination, electrocardiogram (EKG) and blood tests. - Bone marrow and lymph node biopsies (surgical removal of a small tissue sample). - Computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans. CT uses special x-rays to provide images of the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis. PET uses a radioactive sugar to identify areas of disease. During treatment (study weeks 1-12) - Medical history and physical examinations at weeks 3, 6 and 12 to evaluate drug side effects, plus weekly telephone checks and interim visits when needed. - Blood tests every other week to evaluate blood counts. Evaluations after treatment (follow-up 3 months to 12 months) - Blood tests at follow-up visits at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after treatment to evaluate blood counts. - Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy at 3 months after treatment to examine the effects of rituximab on bone marrow cells. - CT scans of the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after treatment to evaluate the response to treatment.
RATIONALE: Glutamine may help lessen neuropathy caused by chemotherapy. It is not yet known whether glutamine is more effective than a placebo in treating neuropathy caused by vincristine. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying glutamine to see how well it works compared to a placebo in treating neuropathy caused by vincristine in young patients with lymphoma, leukemia, or solid tumors.
RATIONALE: Stop-smoking plans, including counseling and nicotine replacement therapy, may help smokers quit smoking. It is not yet known whether counseling and the nicotine lozenge is more effective than counseling and the nicotine patch in helping adult smokers quit smoking. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying counseling and the nicotine lozenge to see how well they work compared to counseling and the nicotine patch in helping smokers quit smoking.
RATIONALE: Giving low doses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy before a donor umbilical cord 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 antithymocyte globulin before transplant and cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil after transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects of giving combination chemotherapy together with total-body irradiation before donor umbilical cord blood transplant and to see how well they work in treating patients with advanced hematologic cancer, metastatic breast cancer, or kidney cancer.
The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if dasatinib can help to control Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). The safety of the drug will also be studied. Optional Procedures: You will be asked to have additional blood samples drawn. These samples will be used to see how the disease is responding to the drug.
RATIONALE: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of cancer cells. GM-CSF may help cells that are involved in the body's immune response work better. Vaccines made from a person's cancer cells may help the body build an effective immune response to kill cancer cells. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying tyrosine kinase inhibitors, interferon alfa, and GM-CSF to see how well they work compared to tyrosine kinase inhibitors and vaccine therapy in treating patients with chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia.