Fludarabine and Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in Treating Patients With Untreated B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2010-06-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Monoclonal antibodies can locate cancer cells and either kill them or deliver cancer-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Combining monoclonal antibody therapy with chemotherapy may kill more cancer cells.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of fludarabine given with or without monoclonal antibody therapy followed by monoclonal antibody therapy alone in treating patients who have untreated B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
• Collaborator: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Treatments: Antibodies; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Fludarabine; Fludarabine phosphate; Immunoglobulins; Rituximab; Vidarabine

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia Stage I or II with evidence of active disease as defined by: Massive or progressive splenomegaly and/or lymphadenopathy Weight loss of greater than 10% within 6 months CALGB grade 2 or 3 fatigue Fevers of greater than 100.5 C or night sweats for over 2 weeks and no evidence of infection Progressive lymphocytosis Stage III or IV Patient registration on CALGB 9665 required

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: CALGB 0-3 Life expectancy:

Not specified Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal Other: No medical condition requiring chronic use of oral corticosteroids Direct antiglobulin test or direct Coombs test negative Not pregnant Effective contraception required of all fertile patients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic: No prior biologic therapy for disease No concurrent erythropoietin Chemotherapy: No concurrent chemotherapy No prior chemotherapy for disease Endocrine: No concurrent chronic oral corticosteroids No prior corticosteroids for autoimmune complications developing since diagnosis No concurrent hormone therapy for disease related conditions No concurrent dexamethasone or other corticosteroid-based antiemetics Radiotherapy: No concurrent palliative radiotherapy Surgery: Not specified Other: No prophylactic therapy for viral, bacterial, or fungal infections