Active clinical trials for "Leukemia"

This phase II trial studies how well fludarabine phosphate with radiation therapy and rituximab followed by donor stem cell infusions work in treating patients with high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) with low side effects. Nonmyeloablative stem cell transplants use low doses of chemotherapy (fludarabine phosphate) and radiation to suppress the patient's immune system enough to prevent rejection of the donor's stem cells. Following infusion of donor stem cells, a mixture of the patient's and the donor's stem cells will exist and is called "mixed chimerism". Donor cells will attack the patient's leukemia. This is called the "graft-versus-leukemia" effect. Rituximab will be given 3 days before and three times after infusing stem cells to help in controlling CLL early after transplant till the "graft-versus-leukemia" takes control. Further, rituximab could augment the "graft-versus-leukemia" effect by activating donor immune cells and hence improve disease control. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can also attack the body's normal cells. Giving cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil after the transplant may stop this from happening.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as fenretinide, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving fenretinide in a different way may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of intravenous fenretinide in treating patients with refractory or relapsed hematologic cancer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as arsenic trioxide, cytarabine, and idarubicin, work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of arsenic trioxide when given together with cytarabine and idarubicin in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of tipifarnib in patients aged 70 or more with acute myeloid leukemia. Tipifarnib belongs to a class of drugs called Farnesyl Transferase Inhibitors (FTI). It blocks proteins that make leukemia cells grow.

The purpose of this study is to provide treatment for patients who have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and to compare the use of rituximab added to fludarabine+cyclophosphamide (FC) with FC alone, to determine if rituximab lengthens the time a patient remains free of leukemia symptoms.

Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Colony-stimulating factors such as sargramostim may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood and may help a person's immune system recover from the side effects of chemotherapy. Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of bryostatin 1 combined with sargramostim in treating patients who have refractory myeloid cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining monoclonal antibody therapy with chemotherapy may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of combining chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody therapy in treating patients who have advanced myeloid cancer.

Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of imatinib mesylate in treating patients who have advanced cancer and liver dysfunction

Monoclonal antibodies can locate cancer cells and either kill them or deliver cancer-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of monoclonal antibody therapy in treating patients who have chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphocytic lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or acute myeloid leukemia.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of perifosine in treating patients who have refractory solid tumors or hematologic cancer.