Trial to Evaluate Palifermin in the Reduction of Acute Graft Versus Host Disease in Patients With Hematologic Malignancies Undergoing Allogeneic Marrow/Peripheral Blood Progenitor Cell (PBPC) Transplantation

Inclusion Criteria:

* Subjects with hematologic malignancies (including myelodysplastic syndromes \[MDS\]) who are considered eligible for Cyclophosphamide (Cy)/Total Body Irradiation(TBI) +/- Etoposide (VP-16); Total Body Irradiation(TBI)/ Etoposide(VP-16); Melphalan(Mel) / Total Body Irradiation(TBI); Busulfan(Bu)/ Cyclophosphamide(Cy); Busulfan(Bu)/ Melphalan (Mel); or Fludarabine(Flu)/ Melphalan(Mel) conditioning therapy with allogeneic stem cell support
* Subjects with a 6/6 Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-matched family member or unrelated donor who would provide donor marrow/ peripheral progenitor stem cells. \[For unrelated matched donors, molecular typing of class I and class II is mandatory\]
* Karnofsky Performance Status \>= 70%
* 18 years of age or older at time of informed consent
* Before any study-specific procedure, the appropriate written informed consent must be obtained

Exclusion Criteria:

* Cancer other than Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, acute myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome or multiple myeloma (except: adequately treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin)
* Prior autologous or allogeneic bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation
* Previous use of palifermin
* Current active infection (including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis) or oral mucositis
* Congestive heart failure as defined by New York Heart Association class III or IV
* Graft T-cell depletion for Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis
* Inadequate renal function (serum creatinine \> 1.5x the upper limit of normal per the institutional guidelines or clearance \< 40 ml/min adjusted for age)
* Inadequate liver function (total bilirubin \> 1.5x the upper limit of normal, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) \> 3x upper limit of normal and/or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) \> 3x upper limit of normal per the institutional guidelines)
* Inadequate pulmonary function as measured by a corrected DLCO (diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide lung function test) \<50% of predicted
* Subject is currently enrolled in or has not yet completed at least 30 days since ending other investigational device or drug trial(s), or subject is receiving other investigational agent(s)
* Subject of child-bearing potential is evidently pregnant (e.g. positive human chorionic gonadotropin- HCG test) or is breast feeding during Part A of the study
* Subject or partner of subject is not using or refuses to use adequate contraceptive precautions during Part A of the study
* Subject has known sensitivity to any of the products to be administered during dosing including Escherichia coli-derived products
* Subject was previously randomized into this study
* Subject will not be available for follow-up assessments
* Subject has any kind of disorder that compromises the ability of the subject to give written informed consent and/or to comply with study procedures