Test Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP) Treatment Before/After Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) or Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) Transplant to Prevent Graft Versus Host Disease

This study is to test the concept that using ECP treatment prior to and after an allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) or peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplant will prevent the development of GvHD. This study is not designed to detect a specific treatment effect. However, some statements about the outcome of the study are possible. A sample size of n = 21 patients could detect a statistically significant difference between the expected rate of GvHD in an untreated population, 60%, and our hypothesized rate, 30%, for the matched-unrelated recipients. This calculation is based on a one-sample, two-sided chi-square test at the 5% level of significance with 80% power. Patients will receive ECP from day -10 and day -8 before transplant and then from day of engraftment absolute neutrophil count (ANC\>500) until day 90 after transplant. Patients who enter the study will receive a BMT or PBSC transplant from a donor who is matched unrelated (8/10 to 10/10 match). Rates of acute GvHD and chronic GvHD that occur in patients are 50-70% for the matched-unrelated donor transplant. The choice of sample size is 21 patients. The analysis will determine if there are favorable trends for a treatment effect. Comparison on survival, and rates of acute and chronic GvHD will be made with historical controls who have undergone similar myeloablative transplant from an unrelated donor.