Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
• •* Refractory anemia (RA)
• •* RA with excess blasts (RAEB)
• •* RAEB in transformation
• •* RA with ringed sideroblasts
• •* Non-proliferative chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (WBC less than 12,000/mm\^3)
• •At least 1 of the following cytopenias:
• •* Untransfused hemoglobin no greater than 10.0 g/dL and/or red cell transfusion dependent
• •* Absolute neutrophil count no greater than 1,800/mm\^3 (neutropenia)
• •* Platelet count no greater than 100,000/mm\^3 (thrombocytopenia)
• •No secondary MDS
• •No known brain metastases
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 and over
• •Performance status:
• •ECOG 0-2
• •Karnofsky 60-100%
• •Life expectancy:
• •More than 4 months
• •Hematopoietic:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •Platelet count at least 20,000/mm\^3
• •No hemorrhagic illness within the past 3 weeks
• •No hemolysis
• •No iron deficiency
• •No active blood loss
• •Hepatic:
• •AST and ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• •INR less than 2.0
• •PTT less than 1.5 times ULN
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• •No renal dysfunction requiring dialysis within the past 6 months
• •No nephrotic syndrome within the past 6 months
• •Cardiovascular:
• •No myocardial infraction within the past 6 months
• •No severe or unstable angina within the past 6 months
• •No severe peripheral vascular disease (ischemic rest pain, non-healing wound or ulcer, or tissue loss) within the past 6 months
• •No uncontrolled hypertension within the past 6 months
• •No transient ischemic attack within the past 6 months
• •No cerebrovascular accident within the past 6 months
• •No deep venous or arterial thrombosis
• •No coronary artery disease
• •No symptomatic congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association class II-IV heart disease)
• •No cardiac arrhythmia
• •No vascular illness within the past 3 weeks
• •Pulmonary:
• •No pulmonary embolism
• •Other:
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No other active malignancy except localized squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer
• •* Prior cured malignancy allowed
• •No trauma within the past 3 weeks
• •No significant inflammatory disease within the past 3 weeks
• •No serious non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
• •No hypersensitivity to Chinese hamster ovary cell products or other recombinant human or humanized antibodies
• •No other active severe disease
• •No infection
• •No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• •HIV negative
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •No prior allogeneic bone marrow transplantation
• •At least 30 days since prior biologic response modifiers
• •At least 30 days since prior hematopoietic growth factors
• •At least 30 days since prior thalidomide
• •No concurrent thalidomide
• •No other concurrent biologic response modifiers
• •No concurrent hematopoietic growth factors (including epoetin alfa)
• •Concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) for febrile neutropenia allowed
• •Concurrent transfusions allowed
• •Chemotherapy:
• •At least 30 days since prior chemotherapy
• •No concurrent chemotherapy
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •No concurrent corticosteroid therapy (more than 10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent steroid dose) except for pre-medication for transfusions
• •Radiotherapy:
• •At least 30 days since prior radiotherapy
• •No concurrent radiotherapy
• •Surgery:
• •At least 3 weeks since prior surgery (including biopsy of visceral organ)
• •Other:
• •At least 10 days since prior anticoagulants
• •No concurrent cytotoxic agents
• •No other concurrent investigational agents