Chemotherapy and Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation in Treating Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the non-relapse toxicity and mortality on day 100 and at 1 year after transplantation in patients with low or intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndrome treated with busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
• Determine the incidence of donor stem cell engraftment and relapse-free survival in these patients treated with this regimen.
• Determine the incidence and severity of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease and invasive fungal infections in these patients treated with this regimen.
• Determine the incidence of relapse in these patients treated with this regimen.

OUTLINE: Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) or bone marrow are harvested from a related or unrelated compatible donor. PBSC are selected for CD34+ cells.

Patients receive oral busulfan every 6 hours on days -7 to -4 and cyclophosphamide IV on days -3 and -2. Allogeneic PBSC or bone marrow is infused on day 0.

As graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis, patients receive cyclosporine IV beginning on day -1 and continuing orally twice daily (if feasible) until day 51 followed by a taper. Patients also receive methotrexate IV on days 1, 3, 6, and 11.

Patients are followed through day 100, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 40 patients will be accrued for this study within 3 years.