Temozolomide in Treating Patients With Mycosis Fungoides or Sezary Syndrome

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed mycosis fungoides or Sezary syndrome
• •* Stage IB-IVB disease
• •* Must have failed at least one prior systemic therapy
• •* Generalized erythroderma allowed
• •Measurable disease and at least one indicator lesion OR evaluable disease for erythrodermic patients only
• •* Prior radiotherapy to areas of measurable disease allowed if disease progression is present in the site or if measurable disease is present outside irradiation port
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 and over
• •Performance status:
• •ECOG 0-2 OR
• •WHO 0-2
• •Life expectancy:
• •At least 3 months
• •Hematopoietic:
• •WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• •Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin no greater than 2.2 mg/dL
• •SGOT or SGPT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• •Cardiovascular:
• •No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• •No clinically significant peripheral venous insufficiency
• •Other:
• •HIV negative
• •No poorly controlled diabetes mellitus
• •No acute infection requiring IV antibiotics
• •No other medical condition that would prevent ingestion or absorption of oral medication
• •No other neoplasm within the past 5 years except curatively treated squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer, melanoma in situ, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •At least 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy and recovered
• •No concurrent growth factors or epoetin alfa
• •Chemotherapy:
• •At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •At least 4 weeks since prior topical steroids
• •Radiotherapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy for local control or palliation and recovered
• •Surgery:
• •Recovered from prior major surgery
• •Other:
• •No other concurrent investigational drugs