Study of the Biology and Natural History of Disease Outcomes in Patients Treated With Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Hematologic Malignancies

Background:

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (or allotransplant; donor blood stem cells) have been used with varying degrees of success as an immune therapy for blood-system cancers (leukemias, myelodysplastic syndrome, lymphomas, multiple myeloma, etc.). Some people s cancer remains active (comes back or continues to spread) after an allotransplant, while other peoples cancer disappears and they are hopefully cured. National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers are studying the reasons for these different treatment outcomes, and trying to develop better cancer treatments for people with active cancer after allotransplant. Researchers are collecting data from people who have had allotransplants for a cancer of the blood, whether or not the cancer is in remission, and from their donors. Those with active cancers may be eligible to participate in one of several NIH studies testing treatments for active cancer after allotransplant.

Objectives:

• To develop a systematic, comprehensive evaluation of individuals with relapsed malignant blood cancers after allotransplant (and, if available, their donors) to identify potential treatment study options
• To compare the immune system after allotransplant between people whose cancers are growing with people whose cancers remain in remission.
• To compare the immune system after cancer relapse/progression treatment between people whose cancer responds to treatment with those whose cancers continue to grow.

Eligibility:

• Individuals whose blood system cancer grows or comes back after receiving allotransplant treatment.
• Individuals whose blood system cancer is responding or in remission 100 days or more after receiving allotransplant treatment.
• Related stem-cell donors of eligible allotransplant recipients.

Design:

• Participants will be evaluated with a full physical examination, detailed medical history (for recipients, including a history of allotransplant treatment process, side-effects, etc.), and blood tests. Recipients will also have imaging studies, possible tissue biopsies, quality of life questionnaires/assessments, and other tests to evaluate the current state of their cancer, whether active or in remission. In some cases, it may be possible to substitute results from recent tests and/or biopsies.
• Healthy related donors will have apheresis to provide white blood cells for study and/or for use in potential treatment options. If stem cells would be medically helpful to a recipient, their donors might be asked to take injections of filgrastim before the apheresis procedure to stimulate the production of stem cells for collection.
• As feasible, all recipients will be asked to return to the NIH for detailed follow-up visits in conjunction with 6, 12, and 24 months post-allotransplant evaluations, and may be monitored between visits.
• Recipients whose cancers are active and who are found to be eligible for treatment protocols at the NIH will continue to be monitored on this study while participating on treatment protocols. Return visits and follow-up tests for this study will be coordinated with those required by the treatment protocol.
• Participants may return in the future to be evaluated for new treatment study options (recipients) or additional cell donations for therapy (donors).