Total-Body Irradiation With or Without Fludarabine Phosphate Followed By Donor Stem Cell Transplant in Treating Patients With Hematologic Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare overall survival at 3 years after conditioning with 200 cGy TBI alone vs. fludarabine (fludarabine phosphate)/200 cGy TBI in heavily pretreated patients with hematologic malignancies at low/moderate risk for graft rejection.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare the non-relapse mortality 1-year after conditioning in patients who received TBI alone vs. fludarabine/TBI.

II. To compare the incidences of graft rejection in patients who received TBI alone vs. fludarabine/TBI.

III. To compare the incidences of grades II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and chronic extensive GVHD.

IV. To compare rates of disease progression and/or relapse-related mortality.

V. To compare the immune reconstitution and the risks of infections.

OUTLINE:

NONMYELOABLATIVE CONDITIONING REGIMEN: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

ARM I: Patients receive fludarabine phosphate intravenously (IV) on days -4 to -2. Patients then undergo low-dose TBI on day 0.

ARM II: Patients undergo low-dose TBI on day 0.

ALLOGENEIC PERIPHERAL BLOOD STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION (PBSCT): After TBI, patients undergo PBSCT on day 0.

IMMUNOSUPPRESSION: Patients receive cyclosporine orally (PO) twice daily (BID) on days -3 to 56 in the absence of GVHD. Patients with no evidence of GVHD at day 56 begin a cyclosporine taper and continue the taper until day 180. Patients with evidence of disease progression and no evidence of GVHD prior to day 56 receive tapered doses of cyclosporine for 2 weeks. Patients also receive mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) PO BID on days 0-28 in the absence of GVHD. If treatment for GVHD is required before day 28, MMF is continued until a steroid taper begins.

Patients are followed up periodically for 1.5 years and then annually for 5 years post-transplantation.