New radiation combo aims to boost stem cell transplant success in tough leukemia cases

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia or acute myelogenous leukemia who are not in first or second remission (i.e., after failing remission induction therapy or in relapse or beyond second remission) * All candidates for this study must have a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) (A, B, C, DR) identical sibling who is willing to donate bone marrow or primed blood stem cells or a 10/10 allele matched unrelated donor; a single allele mismatch at A, B, C, DR, or DQ and a KIR mismatch at C will be allowed; all ABO blood group combinations of the donor/recipient are acceptable since even major ABO compatibilities can be dealt with by various techniques * Prior therapy with VP-16, Busulfan, and Cytoxan is allowed * A cardiac evaluation with an electrocardiogram showing no ischemic changes or abnormal rhythm and an ejection fraction of \>= 50% established by multi gated acquisition scan (MUGA) or echocardiogram * Patients must have a serum creatinine of less than or equal to 1.2 or creatinine clearance \> 80 ml/min * A bilirubin of less than or equal to 1.5 * Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) less than 5 times the upper limit of normal * Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) less than 5 times the upper limit of normal * Pulmonary functioning tests including diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO) will be performed; forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and DLCO should be greater than 50% of the predicted normal value * The time from the end last induction or reinduction attempt should be \>= 14 days * Signed informed consent form approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) is required DONOR: Any sibling donors who are histocompatible with the prospective recipient will be considered a suitable donor * Donors will be excluded if for psychological or medical reasons they are unable to tolerate the procedure * Donor should be able to donate peripheral blood stem cells or bone marrow Exclusion Criteria: * Prior radiation therapy that would exclude the use of total-body irradiation * Patients who have undergone bone marrow transplantation previously and who have relapsed * Patients with psychological or medical condition that patients physician deems unacceptable to proceed to allogeneic bone marrow transplant * Pregnancy * Electrocardiogram (EKG) showing ischemic changes or abnormal rhythm and/or an echocardiogram or MUGA scan showing abnormal wall motion or ejection fraction \< 50%