Tipifarnib in Treating Patients With Advanced Hematologic Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed hematologic malignancy refractory to standard therapy or for which no known effective therapy exists
• * Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• * Known bone marrow involvement
• * Acute myeloid leukemia
• * Chronic myelogenous leukemia
• * Chronic phase
• * No significant symptoms after treatment
• * No features of accelerated phase or blastic phase
• * Accelerated phase
• * WBC difficult to control with conventional busulfan or hydroxyurea in terms of dose requirement or shortening of intervals between courses
• * Rapid doubling of WBC (less than 5 days)
• * At least 10% blasts in blood or marrow
• * At least 20% blasts plus promyelocytes in blood or marrow
• * At least 20% basophils plus eosinophils in blood
• * Anemia or thrombocytopenia unresponsive to busulfan or hydroxyurea
• * Persistent thrombocytosis
• * Additional chromosome changes
• * Increasing splenomegaly
• * Development of chloromas or myelofibrosis
• * Blastic phase
• * At least 30% blasts plus promyelocytes in blood or bone marrow
• * Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• * Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• * Myelodysplastic syndromes
• * Refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB)
• * Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
• * RAEB in transformation
• * Multiple myeloma
• * Chronic myeloproliferative diseases including, but not limited to, myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia
• Measurable or evaluable disease documented by radiographic, hematologic, bone marrow, or clinical examination parameters
• Refusal of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation allowed
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Albumin at least 2.5 g/dL
• Renal:
• Creatinine less than 2.0 mg/dL
• Other:
• No other uncontrolled medical disorder
• No active inflammatory bowel disease, ileus, or other chronic malabsorption syndromes
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 2 months after study participation
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas)
• At least 3 days since prior hydroxyurea
• Endocrine therapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior systemic steroids for multiple myeloma
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• No prior total gastrectomy or total ileocolectomy
• Other:
• No prior tipifarnib
• No concurrent proton pump inhibitors (e.g., omeprazole)