Active clinical trials for "Leukemia"

With current chemotherapy protocols, in 60-80% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) the leukemic blasts in the bone marrow can be reduced to < 5%. This is called "complete remission (CR)" and is the prerequisite for cure of the disease. During the last years, several genetic and biologic risk factors for the achievement of CR have been defined, and the remission rates vary considerably between patient groups with different risk profiles. On one hand, patients with certain chromosomal or molecular aberrations have very high CR rates of approximately 90%. Moreover, in some of these patients, molecularly targeted therapies for specific genetic aberrations are currently evaluated in clinical trials. However, these genetic aberrations account for only 50-60% of the overall patient population in AML. The remaining patients have a significantly inferior CR rate of only 50-60% with 30% resistant disease after two cycles of standard induction chemotherapy. In conclusion, there is need for improved induction regimens in a large number of adult patients with AML. An improved CR rate in this patient population will increase the number of patients eligible for intensive consolidation such as an allogeneic stem cell transplantation and might thereby be the basis for a better overall outcome. However, there is no clear evidence that this goal can be achieved with the currently available chemotherapy protocols. Clofarabine (2-chloro-2-fluoro-deoxy-9-D-arabinofuranosyladenine) is a nucleoside analogon which combines properties of fludarabine and cladribine. Due to the lack of neurological side effects, clofarabine could be explored in higher doses than other nucleoside analogues and has shown considerable antileukemic activity in patients with relapsed or refractory acute leukemias and elderly AML patients alone or in combination with cytarabine. In addition, the combination of clofarabine, cytarabine and idarubicin has produced promising results with acceptable toxicity in patients with relapsed or refractory AML. Based on these initial studies, there is need for a further optimization of the clofarabine dose in this combination. The aim of the AMLSG 17-10 study is therefore to evaluate the tolerability and safety of increasing doses of clofarabine in combination with idarubicin/cytarabine in patients with high risk AML defined by the genetic and molecular risk profile.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the hematological, cytogenetic and molecular response to continuous-use of Imatinib in children with CML Ph+.

The purpose of this study is to determine if the magnetic needle, in combination with magnetic nanoparticles can accurately identify minimal residual disease in leukemia patients.

With this protocol the ALL-SCT BFM international study group wants to evaluate whether hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from matched family or unrelated donors (MD) is equivalent to the HSCT from matched sibling donors (MSD). to evaluate the efficacy of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)from mismatched family or unrelated donors (MMD) as compared to HSCT from matched sibling donors or matched donors. to determine whether therapy has been carried out according to the main HSCT protocol recommendations. The standardisation of the treatment options during HSCT from different donor types aims at the achievement of an optimal comparison of survival after HSCT with survival after chemotherapy only. to prospectively evaluate and compare the incidence of acute and chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease (GvHD) after HSCT from matched sibling donor (MSD), from matched donor (MD) and from mismatched donor (MMD).

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) is the only potentially curative therapy for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). Relapse remains a leading cause for treatment failure after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in patients，so that there is the need to continue to look for alternative therapies. Decitabine, is known to inhibit DNA methyltransferase which results in DNA hypomethylation and expression of silenced genes including those involved in apoptosis. The approval of decitabine for the treatment of MDS and AML has provided an alternative strategy to inhibit disease progression in transplant-eligible patients. To assess the effect of pretransplant decitabine treatment on post transplant outcomes, we recently reviewed our institutional experience with MDS and AML patients.

This study is designed to see if children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who have developed foot drop during treatment for their leukemia consume less oxygen when walking with or without an ankle brace designed to support their foot during walking. In this study children with foot drop are asked to walk for six minutes with and without brace on their ankle. During each walk, the amount of oxygen used is measured. The child wears a face mask which is attached to a device that records how much oxygen they use. The amount of oxygen used during the walk with the brace on will be compared to the amount of oxygen used with the brace off.

RATIONALE: Collecting and storing samples of bone marrow and blood from patients with cancer to study in the laboratory may help doctors find better ways to treat the cancer. PURPOSE: This research study is looking at natural killer cells in bone marrow and blood samples from patients with hematologic cancer and from patients who do not have cancer.

RATIONALE: Studying samples of blood from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors predict whether patients undergoing donor stem cell transplant will develop acute graft-versus-host disease. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying T cells to see how well they help in predicting acute graft-versus-host disease in patients undergoing donor stem cell transplant.

Aim of the study is to compare the efficacy of intensive induction therapy with Cytarabine, Idarubicin and Etoposide (IdAV) given in parallel with (G-CSF priming) and followed by G-CSF versus the same IdAV chemotherapy only followed by G-CSF (without priming) in elderly patients with de novo AML, secondary AML and advanced MDS. Moreover, the ability to mobilize sufficient numbers of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) for autologous PBSC transplantation after consolidation therapy with dose-reduced FLAG-Ida chemotherapy followed by G-CSF will be evaluated.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cytarabine and daunorubicin, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Everolimus may help cytarabine and daunorubicin work better by making cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy. Giving everolimus together with cytarabine and daunorubicin may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of everolimus when given together with cytarabine and daunorubicin in treating patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia.