Dexamethasone Treatment Options in Massachusetts

The purpose of this study is to find out if the combination of bortezomib (Velcade), dexamethasone (Decadron) and rituximab (Rituxan) is effective in treating Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving more than one drug may kill more cancer cells. It is not yet known which combination chemotherapy regimen is more effective in treating childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is comparing different combination chemotherapy regimens to see how well they work in treating children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Read Less

The purpose of this network is to accelerate research in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation by comparing novel therapies to existing ones. Read Less

This is a Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, active-controlled study of rolapitant in subjects receiving HEC. Rolapitant or placebo will be administered 1-2 hours prior to initiation of chemotherapy on Day 1 with granisetron and dexamethasone. Subjects will record all events of emesis and use of rescue medication for established nausea and/or vomiting, and will indicate the severity of nausea they experienced in each of the previous 24 hours in the Nausea and Vomiting (NV) Subject Diary prior to HEC administration through Day 6 of Cycle 1. Health-related quality of life will be measured by the FLIE Questionnaire on Day 6 of Cycle 1. Safety and tolerability will be assessed by clinical review of adverse events (AEs), physical examinations, electrocardiograms (ECGs), and safety laboratory values. All subjects are expected to complete Cycle 1 and will have the option of participating in up to five additional cycles. Read Less

This is a Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, active-controlled study of rolapitant in subjects receiving MEC. Rolapitant or placebo will be administered prior to the initiation of chemotherapy on Day 1 with granisetron and dexamethasone. Subjects will record all events of emesis and the use of rescue medication for established nausea and/or vomiting, and will indicate the severity of nausea they experienced in each of the previous 24 hours in the Nausea and Vomiting (NV) Subject Diary prior to the MEC administration through Day 6 in Cycle 1. Health-related quality of life will be measured by the FLIE Questionnaire on Day 6 of Cycle 1. Safety and tolerability will be assessed by clinical review of adverse events (AEs), physical examination, electrocardiograms (ECGs), and safety laboratory values. All subjects are expected to complete Cycle 1 and will have the option of participating in up to five additional cycles. Read Less

Neutropenia, a condition characterized by an abnormally low number of infection-fighting white blood cells called neutrophils, commonly develops in people who have undergone chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation. The severely reduced immunity of those with neutropenia can put them at risk of entry of life-threatening infections, making the implementation of treatments that increase white blood cell numbers important. Several studies have shown that the transfusion of donor granulocytes, a type of white blood cell that includes neutrophils, is effective in promoting the recovery of adequate numbers of granulocytes. However, granulocyte transfusions can cause side effects, and it is not known whether the success of the therapy outweighs the health risks of the side effects. This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of granulocyte transfusions in treating people with a bacterial or fungal infection during neutropenia. Read Less

This study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of different dosages and administration schedules of an investigational agent administered over 3 days when added to standard therapy used in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. Subjects will be asked to complete daily diaries while on study medication. In addition subjects will be required to return to the investigational site several times during the course of the study for follow up safety assessments which may include blood samples for hematology and chemistry evaluations as well as physical exams. A final assessment will be preformed on study Day 20-30 at which time the subject will complete the study. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage cancer cells. Combining chemotherapy and radiation therapy with peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy and kill more cancer cells. It is not yet known which treatment regimen is more effective for multiple myeloma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of melphalan, total-body irradiation, and peripheral stem cell transplantation with that of combination chemotherapy in treating patients who have previously untreated multiple myeloma. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with bone marrow transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy with or without bone marrow transplantation in treating patients who have acute lymphocytic leukemia. Read Less

RATIONALE: Chemotherapy plus interferon alfa may be effective for primary systemic amyloidosis. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of dexamethasone plus interferon alfa in treating patients who have primary systemic amyloidosis. Read Less

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 and kill more tumor cells. Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of the cancer cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of high-dose melphalan plus peripheral stem cell transplantation followed by interferon alfa in treating patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Thalidomide may stop the growth of tumor cells by stopping blood flow to the tumor. It is not yet known if combination chemotherapy is more effective with or without thalidomide for multiple myeloma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy with or without thalidomide in treating patients who have refractory multiple myeloma. Read Less