Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

This phase II trial tests the safety, side effects, and how well combination chemotherapy with fludarabine, high-dose cytarabine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and idarubicin (FLAG-Ida) followed immediately by reduced-intensity total body radiation therapy, called total body irradiation (TBI), and donor hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) works in treating adults age 60 and older with newly diagnosed adverse-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or other high-grade myeloid cancer. Despite advances in supportive care and the approval of more than 10 new drugs since 2017, the outcomes of older adults with adverse-risk acute myeloid leukemia and other high-grade myeloid cancers remains poor. Most patients are expected to die from their cancer or the consequences of treatment-related side effects. Donor HCT is a very important part of any curative-cancer treatment for these patients. However, while accepted as standard care for decades, this treatment exposes patients to long periods of drug-induced low blood cell counts and the problems associated with low blood counts, like infections and bleeding, which are associated with significant risk of chronic side effects and death. This study will use a different approach to the upfront curative-cancer treatment of older adults with an adverse-risk AML or other high-grade myeloid cancer. This study will use intense chemotherapy followed a few days later by lower-dose TBI and donor HCT. Chemotherapy drugs, such as idarubicin, fludarabine, high-dose cytarabine work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. G-CSF helps the bone marrow make more white blood cells in patients with low white blood cell count due to cancer treatment. This approach allows effective treatment of cancer cells and overall reduction of the period of low blood cells counts. This decreases the risk for problems associated with low blood counts, such as infection and chronic side effects. Decreasing these are important for older adults who undergo HCT. This treatment strategy may improve treatment outcomes by allowing more patients to successfully undergo donor HCT and reduce the risk of low blood cell counts and the problems associated with low blood counts. Giving chemotherapy followed immediately by reduced-intensity TBI and donor HCT may be safe, tolerable and/or effective in treating adults age 60 and older with newly diagnosed adverse-risk AML or other high-grade myeloid cancer.

This phase III trial compares standard chemotherapy to therapy with liposome-encapsulated daunorubicin-cytarabine (CPX-351) and/or gilteritinib for patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia with or without FLT3 mutations. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as daunorubicin, cytarabine, and gemtuzumab ozogamicin, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. CPX-351 is made up of daunorubicin and cytarabine and is made in a way that makes the drugs stay in the bone marrow longer and could be less likely to cause heart problems than traditional anthracycline drugs, a common class of chemotherapy drug. Some acute myeloid leukemia patients have an abnormality in the structure of a gene called FLT3. Genes are pieces of DNA (molecules that carry instructions for development, functioning, growth and reproduction) inside each cell that tell the cell what to do and when to grow and divide. FLT3 plays an important role in the normal making of blood cells. This gene can have permanent changes that cause it to function abnormally by making cancer cells grow. Gilteritinib may block the abnormal function of the FLT3 gene that makes cancer cells grow. The overall goals of this study are, 1) to compare the effects, good and/or bad, of CPX-351 with daunorubicin and cytarabine on people with newly diagnosed AML to find out which is better, 2) to study the effects, good and/or bad, of adding gilteritinib to AML therapy for patients with high amounts of FLT3/ITD or other FLT3 mutations and 3) to study changes in heart function during and after treatment for AML. Giving CPX-351 and/or gilteritinib with standard chemotherapy may work better in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia compared to standard chemotherapy alone.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of ruxolitinib (Rux) therapy alone (monotherapy) followed by Rux plus azacitidine (AZA) maintenance therapy and to see how well it works in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are undergoing reduced intensity allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). AlloHSCT provides the only chance for cure for many patients with AML. AlloHSCT is a procedure in which a person receives blood-forming stem cells (cells from which all blood cells develop) from a genetically similar, but not identical, donor. This is often a sister or brother, but could be an unrelated donor. One of the common reasons for death after an alloHSCT is graft versus host disease (GVHD), which occurs when the transplanted cells from the donor attacks the recipient's normal cells. Ruxolitinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works to treat GVHD by blocking the signals of the cells that cause GVHD. Azacitidine is in a class of medications called demethylation agents. It works by helping the bone marrow to produce normal blood cells and by killing abnormal cells in the bone marrow. Giving Rux after the transplant may stop GVHD from occurring. Maintenance therapy with AZA, may help prevent or delay cancer from coming back. Giving Rux monotherapy followed by Rux plus AZA maintenance therapy may be safe, tolerable, and/or effective in treating patients with AML who are undergoing alloHSCT.

This MyeloMATCH Master Screening and Reassessment Protocol (MSRP) evaluates the use of a screening tool and specific laboratory tests to help improve participants' ability to register to clinical trials throughout the course of their myeloid cancer (acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome) treatment. This study involves testing patients' bone marrow and blood for certain biomarkers. A biomarker (sometimes called a marker) is any molecule in the body that can be measured. Doctors look at markers to learn what is happening in the body. Knowing about certain markers can give doctors more information about what is driving the cancer and how to treat it. Testing patients' bone marrow and blood will show doctors if patients have markers that specific drugs can target. The marker testing in this study will let doctors know if they can match patients with a treatment study (myeloMATCH clinical trial) that tests treatment for the type of cancer they have or continue standard of care treatment with their doctor on the Tier Advancement Pathway (TAP).

This phase II trial studies how well vedolizumab plus post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and short course tacrolimus work for the prevention of graft versus host disease (GVHD) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) after reduced intensity conditioning. Allogeneic HCT is a procedure in which a person receives blood-forming stem cells (cells from which all blood cells develop) from a donor. Giving reduced conditioning chemotherapy before an allogeneic HCT helps kill cancer cells in the body and helps make room in the patient's bone marrow for new stem cells to grow using less than standard doses of chemotherapy. Sometimes, the transplanted cells from a donor can attack the body's normal cells (called graft-versus-host disease). Vedolizumab is a monoclonal antibody, which is a type of protein that can bind to certain targets in the body, such as molecules that cause the body to make an immune response (antigens). It may reduce inflammation. Cyclophosphamide is in a class of medications called alkylating agents. It works by damaging the cell's deoxyribonucleic acid and may kill cancer cells. It may also lower the body's immune response. Tacrolimus suppresses the immune system by preventing the activation of certain types of immune cells. Giving vedolizumab plus PTCy and short course tacrolimus may be effective at preventing GVHD after allogeneic HCT.