Palifermin in Preventing Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Patients Who Have Undergone Donor Stem Cell Transplant for Hematologic Cancer

OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate the pharmacodynamic effects of palifermin on thymic function in patients at risk of chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD). II. To evaluate the tolerability of palifermin in patients at risk of chronic GVHD. OUTLINE: Patients are assigned to 1 of 2 groups based on whether they wish to receive palifermin or not. GROUP 1: Patients receive palifermin intravenously (IV) on days 1-3 in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. GROUP 2: Patients do not receive palifermin. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up on days 7, 14, 21, and 28.