Graft Versus Host Disease-Reduction Strategies for Donor Blood Stem Cell Transplant Patients With Acute Leukemia

This phase II trial compares four strategies for the reduction of graft versus host disease in patients with acute leukemia in remission. Giving chemotherapy and total-body irradiation before a donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cells in the bone marrow, including normal blood-forming cells (stem cells) and cancer cells. It may also stop the patients immune system from rejecting the donors stem cells. When the healthy stem cells from a donor are infused into the patient they may help the patients bone marrow make stem cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The donated stem cells may also replace the patient immune cells and help destroy any remaining cancer cells.