Donor Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant in Treating Patients With Advanced Hematologic Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Diagnosis of 1 of the following advanced hematologic malignancies:

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) meeting the following criteria:

Not expected to be curable with chemotherapy and meets ≥ 1 of the following criteria:

High-risk cytogenetics (-7, -7q, -5, -5q, t[6,9], t[9,11], complex, Philadelphia chromosome positive [Ph+])
AML evolved from prior myelodysplasia
AML secondary to prior chemotherapy
Failed to achieve remission
In second or subsequent remission
Marrow blasts ≤ 10% (may be achieved using chemotherapy)

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with high-risk features

International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) score intermediate -2 or high-risk
Marrow blasts ≤ 20% (may be achieved using chemotherapy)

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia meeting the following criteria:

Not expected to be curable with chemotherapy and meets ≥ 1 of the following criteria:

High-risk cytogenetics (Ph+, t[4,11], 11q23 abnormalities, and monosomy 7)
Required > 1 induction course to achieve remission
Failed to achieve remission
In second or subsequent remission
Marrow blasts ≤ 10% (may be achieved using chemotherapy)

Chronic myelogenous leukemia meeting ≥ 1 of the following criteria:

Accelerated phase
Chronic phase refractory to imatinib mesylate

Blastic phase

Marrow blasts ≤ 10% (may be achieved using chemotherapy)

Multiple myeloma meeting 1 of the following criteria:

Stage II or III disease with > first relapse or refractory disease
Newly diagnosed disease with chromosome 13 abnormalities

Lymphoma meeting the following criteria:

One of the following subtypes:

Diffuse large cell lymphoma
Mantle cell lymphoma
Peripheral T-cell lymphoma
T-natural killer (NK) cell lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma

Disease failed to respond to primary therapy, progressed, or recurred after prior therapy

Patients who have failed autologous stem cell transplantation are eligible provided it has been > 1 year since transplant
No rapid progression of malignant disease
Not eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation

Available umbilical cord blood (1-3 units) donor matching at ≥ 4 of 6 HLA antigens (A, B, and DR)

Patients with an HLA-identical or 1 antigen-mismatched related donor OR a potential HLA-matched unrelated donor matching at > 6/8 (A, B, C, DR) alleles are not eligible

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

ECOG performance status 0-2
Creatinine < 2.0 mg/dL
Creatinine clearance > 40 mL/min
Bilirubin < 2.0 mg/dL
AST and alkaline phosphatase < 3 times upper limit of normal
Hepatitis C and active hepatitis B allowed if patient has ≤ grade 2 inflammation or fibrosis by liver biopsy
Ejection fraction > 40% by echocardiogram or MUGA
DLCO > 40% of predicted
Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
No known HIV infection
No active infection requiring ongoing antibiotic treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

See Disease Characteristics