A Study of Cord Blood Transplantation in Children and Young Adults with Blood Cancers and Non-Cancerous Blood Disorders

Full Title

Purpose

The transplantation of stem cells from umbilical cord blood is a treatment for some blood cancers and non-cancerous blood or metabolic disorders. Patients routinely receive high doses of chemotherapy and sometimes radiation before receiving the stem cells to help make room in the bone marrow for new blood stem cells to grow, prevent the body from rejecting the transplanted cells, and help kill any abnormal blood cells in the body. However, the combination of these treatments can have serious side effects.

Researchers are doing this study to find out whether a combination of the chemotherapy drugs clofarabine, fludarabine, and busulfan (without radiation) is a safe and effective treatment for children and young adults receiving cord blood transplants for blood cancers or non-cancerous blood or metabolic disorders. These three drugs are given intravenously (by vein).