Cyclophosphamide Treatment Options in Maryland

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known if combination chemotherapy is more effective with or without peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating Hodgkin's Disease. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy with or without peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating men who have stage III or stage IV Hodgkin's disease. Read Less

This phase I trial is studying how well monoclonal antibody therapy with peripheral stem cell transplant works in treating patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab, 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. Peripheral stem cell transplant may allow the doctor to give higher doses of monoclonal antibodies and kill more cancer cells Read Less

Background: * Human peripheral blood lymphocytes have been engineered to express a T-cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes a blood type, human leukocyte antigen (HLA-A\*0201) derived from the gp100 protein. A retroviral vector was constructed that can deliver the TCR to cells. * This gene-engineered cell is over 10 times more reactive with melanoma cells than is the melanoma antigen recognized by T-cells (MART-1) TCR that resulted in tumor shrinkage for two patients with metastatic melanoma. Objectives: * To determine whether an anti-melanoma protein receptor can be put in cells removed from patients' tumors or blood and then reinfused, with the purpose of shrinking tumors. * To evaluate safety and effectiveness of the treatment. Eligibility: * Patients 18 years of age or older with metastatic cancer melanoma (cancer that has spread beyond the original site). * Patient's leukocyte antigen type is HLA-A\*0201. Design: -Patients undergo the following procedures: * Leukapheresis (on two occasions). This is a method of collecting large numbers of white blood cells. The cells obtained in the first leukapheresis procedure are grown in the laboratory, and the anti-gp100 protein is inserted into the cells using an inactivated (harmless) virus in a process called retroviral transduction. Cells collected in the second leukapheresis procedure are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the study treatment. * Chemotherapy. Patients are given chemotherapy through a vein (intravenously, IV) over 1 hour for 2 days to suppress the immune system so that the patient's immune cells do not interfere with the treatment. * Treatment with anti-gp100. Patients receive an IV infusion of the treated cells containing anti-gp100 protein, followed by infusions of a drug called IL-2 (aldesleukin), which helps boost the effectiveness of the treated white cells. * Patients are given support medications to prevent complications such as infections. * Patients may undergo a tumor biopsy (removal of a small piece of tumor tissue). * Patients are evaluated with laboratory tests and imaging tests, such as CT scans, 4 to 6 weeks after treatment and then once a month for 3 to 4 months to determine the response to treatment. * Patients have blood tests at 3, 6, and 12 months and then annually for 5 years. Read Less

Background: * Human peripheral blood lymphocytes have been engineered to express a T-cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes a blood type,HLA-A 0201 (human leukocyte antigen) derived from the gp100 protein. A retroviral vector was constructed that can deliver the T-cell receptor (TCR) to cells. * Patients' cells will be converted into cells able to recognize and fight melanoma tumors. Objectives: * To determine whether TCR-engineered lymphocytes can be put in cells removed from patients' tumors or blood and then reinfused, with the purpose of shrinking tumors. * To evaluate safety and effectiveness of the treatment. Eligibility: * Patients 18 years of age or older with metastatic cancer melanoma (cancer that has spread beyond the original site). * Patient's leukocyte antigen type is HLA-A 0201. Design: -Patients undergo the following procedures: * Leukapheresis (on two occasions). This is a method of collecting large numbers of white blood cells. The cells obtained in the first leukapheresis procedure are grown in the laboratory, and the anti-MART-1 protein is inserted into the cells using an inactivated (harmless) virus in a process called retroviral transduction. Cells collected in the second leukapheresis procedure are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the study treatment. * Chemotherapy. Patients are given chemotherapy through a vein (intravenously, IV) over 1 hour for 2 days to suppress the immune system so that the patient's immune cells do not interfere with the treatment. * Treatment with anti-melanoma antigen recognized by T-cells (MART)-1. Patients receive an intravenous (IV) infusion of the treated cells containing anti-MART-1 protein, followed by infusions of a drug called IL-2 (aldesleukin), which helps boost the effectiveness of the treated white cells. * Patients are given support medications to prevent complications such as infections. * Patients may undergo a tumor biopsy (removal of a small piece of tumor tissue). * Patients are evaluated with laboratory tests and imaging tests, such as CT (computed tomography) scans, 4 to 6 weeks after treatment and then once a month for 3 to 4 months to determine the response to treatment. * Patients have blood tests at 3, 6, and 12 months and then annually for 5 years. Read Less

This experiment will test the safety and effectiveness of a treatment for melanoma in which certain lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) are taken from the patient, grown in the laboratory, and returned after the patient's immune system has been weakened with immune-suppressing drugs. Some patients will also receive interleukin-2 (IL-2), a drug that may enhance the activity of the re-infused lymphocytes. Patients with metastatic melanoma (melanoma whose tumor has spread) who have been treated unsuccessfully with gp100 vaccination may participate in this study. They will undergo apheresis or a tumor biopsy, or both, to collect lymphocytes. In apheresis, whole blood is drawn through a needle in the arm. A machine separates the blood components and removes the white cells. The rest of the blood is returned to the donor through a needle in the other arm. A biopsy is a surgical procedure to remove a small piece of tumor tissue. Several weeks before the lymphocytes are collected, patients will receive injections of growth colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) every day for five days. This drug stimulates white cell production, permitting as many cells as possible to be obtained during collection. The lymphocytes will then be grown in larger numbers in the laboratory. Seven days before the cells are re-infused, the patient is admitted to the hospital and a catheter (small tube) is placed in a large vein in the chest or neck. Two drugs, cyclophosphamide and fludarabine, are given through the tube. These drugs suppress the immune system so that it will not interfere with the work of the reinfused lymphocytes. The lymphocytes are then injected through the catheter over a 30-minute period. After the infusion, patients who receive IL-2 will be given the drug in a high dose over a 15-minute period every eight hours for up to five days. Patients whose condition does not permit high-dose IL-2, such as those with a heart condition or lung problem, may receive a low-dose regimen, with the drug given as a shot under the skin of the thigh or abdomen for five days followed by a 2-day break, continuing for a total of six weeks. These patients receive a higher dose the first week and then half that dose the next five weeks. Blood and tissue samples will be taken before and during the study to evaluate the size of the tumor and assess treatment. If, 3-5 weeks after therapy is completed, the patient's tumor has stabilized or shrunk, the entire treatment, except for chemotherapy, may be repeated two more times. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy consisting of doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and docetaxel in treating women with stage IIIB or stage IV breast cancer. Read Less

Background: * Some patients with advanced kidney cancer have immune cells that can recognize and kill their cancer, but the cells are not active enough or numerous enough to accomplish this on their own. * In recent studies of patients with advanced melanoma, some patients given special tumor-fighting cells (cells taken from the patient's tumor cells and grown in the laboratory) showed some anti-tumor response. Objectives: -To determine whether special tumor-fighting cells taken from the patient's blood or tumor and grown in the laboratory can cause tumors in patients with kidney cancer to shrink when they are given back to the patient along with interleukin-2. Eligibility: Patients 18 years of age or older with advanced kidney cancer. Design: * Up to 29 patients will be treated in this study. * Patients undergo tumor biopsy to collect tumor cells for creating special tumor-fighting cells for later infusion. * Patients undergo apheresis to collect stem cells for later re-infusion. For apheresis, whole blood is collected through a needle in an arm vein and circulated through a cell-separating machine where the stem cells are extracted. The rest of the blood is returned through the same needle or a needle in the other arm. * Before receiving the treated white cells, patients are given two drugs to suppress the immune system so the treated cells can work without interference from immune system cells. They are given cyclophosphamide over 2 days through a catheter (plastic tube inserted into a vein in the arm or neck) and fludarabine through the catheter over 15-30 minutes for the next 5 days. * The day after the last dose of fludarabine, the tumor-fighting cells are infused through a vein over 10-20 minutes. * Following the cell infusion, patients start treatment with high-dose interleukin-2 every 8 hours for a maximum of 12 doses. * Patients are evaluated with x-ray studies about 1 month after receiving the cells and interleukin 2 (IL-2) to look for tumor response to treatment. Those who show significant improvement continue to receive treatment until the treated cells are used up or the patient no longer benefits or develops unacceptable side effects. Read Less

Background: * This study will use cells called DMF5 to treat patients with metastatic melanoma (melanoma that has spread beyond the primary tumor site). * The DMF5 cells were first obtained from a tumor of a patient with melanoma with HLA-A201 tissue type. The tumor cells were grown in the laboratory, and when the laboratory-grown cells were given back to the patient, the patient's tumors shrank dramatically. In laboratory tests, DMF5 cells were also shown to shrink mouse melanoma tumors. Objectives: -To determine whether preparatory chemotherapy followed by infusion of DMF5 cells is a safe and effective for shrinking melanoma tumors. Eligibility: -Patients with metastatic melanoma and tissue type HLA-A201 who are 18 years of age or older. Design: * Patients have a preparatory regimen of chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide and fludarabine followed by infusion of DMF5 cells and then high-dose interleukin. The chemotherapy, interleukin and cells are given intravenously (through a vein). * Patients have frequent blood tests to look for the side effects and response to treatment. * Patients may be asked to have a tumor biopsy (surgical removal of a small piece of tumor tissue) to examine the effects of treatment on the immune cells in the tumor. * Patients have a physical examination, computed tomography (CT) of the chest, abdomen and pelvis and laboratory tests 4 to 6 weeks after treatment and then monthly to evaluate the tumor. * The first group of patients participates in the Phase I portion of the study, called the dose escalation phase. This phase will determine the highest safe dose of DMF5 cells. There will be three dose levels of DMF5 cells, with the first patients enrolled getting the smallest dose and then increasing the dose when the preceding level has been shown to be safe. * Patients in the Phase II portion of the study receive DMF5 cells at the highest dose found to be safe in Phase I, to test the effectiveness of the treatment. Read Less

Background: * Natural killer (NK) cells are large lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) that are important in the immune response to cancer. * IL-2 (Aldesleukin) is a substance the body makes that controls the growth and function of many types of cells. The Food and Drug Administration has approved IL-3 for treating metastatic melanoma and kidney cancer. (Metastatic disease is cancer that has spread beyond the primary site.) Objectives: To determine the safety and effectiveness of treating metastatic melanoma and kidney cancer with laboratory-treated NK cells and IL-2. Eligibility: Patients 18 years of age or older with metastatic melanoma or kidney cancer who have previously been treated with high-dose IL-2. Design: * Leukapheresis. Patients under leukapheresis to obtain NK cells for the treatment regimen. Blood is collected through a needle in an arm vein and directed through a cell separator machine where white blood cells are extracted. The rest of the blood is returned to the patient through a needle in the other arm. NK cells are removed from the white blood cells and treated for re-infusion into the patient. * Chemotherapy. Starting 8 days before infusion of the treated NK cells, patients receive intravenous (IV, through a vein) infusions of cyclophosphamide and fludarabine to suppress the immune system. * NK cell infusion. Patients receive a 30-minute IV infusion of NK cells 2 days after the last dose of chemotherapy. * IL-2 therapy. Within 24 hours of the NK cell infusion, patients receive high-dose IL-2 as a 15-minute IV infusion every 8 hours for up to 5 days. A second cycle of IL-2 is given about 14 days after the first. * Blood tests and biopsy. Patients have frequent blood tests during the treatment period and may be asked to undergo a biopsy (surgical removal of a small piece of tumor or lymph node) at the end of treatment to look at the effects of the treatment on the tumor immune cells. * Follow-up evaluation. Patients are evaluated 4-6 weeks after completing treatment. They have a physical examination, scans of tumor sites, blood tests and blood sampling (or leukapheresis) to examine the response to treatment. Patients who improve with treatment return for evaluations every month. Those whose tumor grows again after originally shrinking may receive one additional treatment course. Read Less

Background: * In a study in humans with melanoma, patients given total body irradiation to suppress the immune system in conjunction with chemotherapy showed a significant clinical response. * In previous studies, about one-half of patients given tumor-fighting cells (cells created from the patient's tumor cells and grown in the laboratory) showed some anti-tumor response. Objective: To determine whether tumor-fighting cells taken from a melanoma tumor and grown in the lab can more effectively at fight melanoma when the patient's immune system is suppressed and cannot attack them. Eligibility: Patients 18 years of age or older with metastatic melanoma who have tumor reactive cells available. Design: -Patients are assigned to one of two groups - those having received prior therapy with Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and those who have not. After five days of injections of filgrastim, a medicine to stimulated the growth of white blood cells, patients undergo apheresis or bone marrow harvesting, or both, to collect stem cells for later re-infusion. For apheresis, whole blood is collected through a needle in an arm vein and circulated through a cell-separating machine where the stem cells are extracted. The rest of the blood is returned through the same needle or a needle in the other arm. Bone marrow harvesting is done under general anesthesia. Stem cells are collected through a large needle inserted into the hipbone.-Patients' immune system cells and bone marrow function are eliminated with chemotherapy (7 days) and total body irradiation (3 days) so the patient's immune system cells will not fight the tumor-fighting cells they are given in treatment. * 1 to 3 days after total body irradiation, patients receive the tumor-fighting cells by intravenous (IV) infusion. After the cells are infused, they receive interleukin-2 (IL-2) infusions every 8 hours for 5 days. * 2 days after infusion of the tumor-fighting cells, patients receive the stem cells collected earlier by apheresis. * Patients are evaluated 4 to 6 weeks after cell infusion to look for tumor response to treatment. Patients whose tumor has not grown return to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) every 1 to 3 months for blood tests, scans and x-rays. Read Less

This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of an experimental drug called Bortezomib (PS-341), given alone and in combination with a chemotherapy regimen called Etoposide, Prednisone, Vincristine, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin and Filgrastim (EPOCH), in treating non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma. In the laboratory, PS-341 kills lymphoma cells and makes them more sensitive to chemotherapy. The EPOCH treatment regimen includes the drugs doxorubicin, etoposide, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, prednisone, and filgrastim. Patients 18 years of age and older with an aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that has relapsed after treatment or is not responding to chemotherapy may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and physical examination. Other tests that may be required include blood and urine tests; lung function studies; imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and x-rays; and biopsy (surgical removal of a small tissue sample) of tumor, bone marrow, or other tissue. Upon entering the study, all participants will receive PS-341. The drug is given as a 3- to 5-second intravenous (through a vein) injection twice a week for 2 weeks. This is followed by a 1-week rest. Each 3-week period comprises one treatment cycle. The number of cycles a patient receives depends on how well he or she responds to the drug. Patients who do not have a complete remission or whose tumor grows on this therapy will be offered PS-341 in combination with up to six cycles of EPOCH chemotherapy. The treatment for patients taking PS-341 plus EPOCH is as follows: * PS-341, given by 3- to 5-second intravenous (IV) injection on days 1 and 4 of each cycle. * Doxorubicin, etoposide, and vincristine, given by continuous IV infusion over 4 days, beginning on day 1 and ending on day 5 of each cycle. The drugs are delivered through a lightweight portable infusion pump to an indwelling IV catheter (plastic tube) in a vein. * Cyclophosphamide, given by IV infusion over 15 minutes on day 5 of each cycle. * Prednisone, given by mouth (pills) twice a day on days 1 through 5 of each cycle. * Filgrastim, given by injection under the skin starting on day 6 of each cycle and continuing until the white blood cell count increases or until day 19 of the cycle. Patients also take a combination of antibiotics 3 days a week during EPOCH to prevent infection while resistance is lowered because of the chemotherapy. Etoposide, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide doses are adjusted as needed, based on white blood cell counts of the previous cycle. The first patients in the study will receive a low dose of PS-341. The dose will be increased in subsequent small groups of patients as long as the preceding dose is well tolerated. Drug therapy for patients who are candidates for bone marrow transplant will be tailored to permit transplantation. Patients who are not eligible for or who choose not to have a bone marrow transplant will be followed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) every 3 months the first year, every 4 months the second year, every 6 months the third year, and then once a year until their disease progresses or the study ends. Patients may have tumor and bone marrow biopsies, blood draws, and computed tomography (CT) scans periodically to evaluate disease status and drug side effects. Read Less

RATIONALE: Inserting a gene that has been created in the laboratory into a person's white blood cells may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill tumor cells. Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Combining gene-modified white blood cell infusions with interleukin-2 and vaccine therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying how well giving gene-modified white blood cells when given together with interleukin-2 and vaccine therapy works in treating patients with metastatic melanoma. Read Less