New combo therapy before stem cell transplant shows promise for tough leukemias

This study tested a new way to prepare people with hard-to-treat acute leukemia for a donor stem cell transplant. It combined a precise type of radiation (IMRT) with two chemotherapy drugs (etoposide and cyclophosphamide) to kill cancer cells and help the donor cells take hold. The goal was to find the safest radiation dose and see if this approach could control the disease. The trial included 51 patients with leukemia that had come back or not responded to standard treatment.