Sirolimus, Tacrolimus, and Methotrexate in Preventing Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Patients With Hematologic Cancer Who Are Undergoing Donor Stem Cell Transplantation

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of hematological malignancy * No chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia, de novo acute leukemia in first remission, or myelodysplastic syndromes with refractory anemia * Scheduled for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from unrelated donors * Currently receiving conditioning regimen comprising cyclosporine and total body radiotherapy (1,200 to 1,350 cGy) or busulfan and cyclosporine * Donor must be typed to the highest level of resolution * One single non-serologic disparity for A, B, or C alleles allowed provided the disparity is within the third or fourth digit of the allele * No mismatch at DRB1 or DQB1 PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * Per primary treatment protocol Performance status * Not specified Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Not specified Hepatic * SGOT and SGPT ≤ 2.0 times upper limit of normal * Bilirubin normal * Hepatitis B and C virus negative Renal * Creatinine clearance ≥ 70 mL/min Cardiovascular * No cardiac insufficiency requiring treatment * No coronary artery disease Pulmonary * No acute pulmonary infection by chest x-ray * No severe hypoxemia with pO\_2 \< 70 mm Hg AND DLCO \< 70% of predicted * No mild hypoxemia with pO\_2 \< 80 mm Hg AND DLCO \< 60% of predicted Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * HIV negative * No active systemic infection * No known hypersensitivity to macrolide antibiotics (e.g., erythromycin, azithromycin, or clarithromycin) * No prior intolerance or unresponsiveness to sirolimus PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * See Disease Characteristics * No concurrent T-cell depleted transplantations Chemotherapy * See Disease Characteristics Endocrine therapy * Not specified Radiotherapy * See Disease Characteristics Surgery * Not specified Other * No concurrent grapefruit juice * No concurrent voriconazole