Aminocamptothecin in Treating Patients With Refractory or Recurrent Hodgkin's Disease or Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of aminocamptothecin in treating patients who have refractory or recurrent Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die.

OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the response rate and duration of response to aminocamptothecin (9-AC) in patients with refractory or relapsed Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. II. Assess the toxicity of 9-AC in these patients. III. Validate a preliminary pharmacodynamic model relating total 9-AC concentration, albumin, and bilirubin to toxicity. IV. Determine whether 9-AC concentrations correlate with response. OUTLINE: Patients are stratified by disease histology (International Working Formulation (IWF) A-C vs IWF D-F) and center. Patients receive aminocamptothecin IV continuously on days 1-3. Treatment repeats every 2 weeks for a minimum of 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients who achieve stable disease, partial response (PR), or complete response (CR) may receive 2 additional courses past best response (minimum of 6 courses if PR or CR). Patients are followed every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter.