Oblimersen and Doxorubicin in Treating Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Liver Cancer)

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Diagnosis of 1 of the following:
• •* Histologically or cytologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
• •* Locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic
• •* Not candidates for surgical/radical therapies
• •* Other solid tumor that is incurable (closed to accrual as of 11/7/03)
• •At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion
• •* At least 20 mm by conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• •* Target lesion may not be in a previously irradiated field unless subsequent progression was documented
• •No ascites
• •No known brain metastases
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age
• •18 and over
• •Performance status
• •ECOG 0-2 OR
• •Karnofsky 60-100%
• •Life expectancy
• •More than 3 months
• •Hematopoietic
• •WBC at least 2,000/mm\^3
• •Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic
• •Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• •AST no greater than 5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •Albumin greater than 3.5 g/dL
• •No cirrhosis worse than Childs-Pugh class A
• •Renal
• •Creatinine no greater than 1.25 times ULN OR
• •Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
• •Cardiovascular
• •LVEF normal by MUGA
• •No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• •No unstable angina pectoris
• •No cardiac arrhythmia
• •Other
• •Good nutritional status
• •No encephalopathy
• •No other concurrent uncontrolled illness
• •No ongoing or active infection
• •No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study participation
• •No prior allergic reactions to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to oblimersen or doxorubicin
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy
• •No more than 1 prior biologic therapy regimen for patients with HCC
• •At least 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy
• •Chemotherapy
• •Patients with HCC:
• •* No prior systemic chemotherapy
• •* Prior chemotherapy as part of localized chemoembolization therapy may be allowed (no more than 150 mg/m\^2 for doxorubicin) if completed at least 8 weeks before study treatment
• •All other patients (closed to accrual as of 11/7/03):
• •* At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• •* No prior doxorubicin, epirubicin, or other anthracycline
• •Endocrine therapy
• •Not specified
• •Radiotherapy
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• •No more than 3,000 cGy to fields including substantial bone marrow
• •Surgery
• •At least 8 weeks since prior surgery
• •Prior liver transplant for HCC allowed
• •Other
• •Recovered from all prior therapy
• •At least 8 weeks since other locally ablative therapies
• •No concurrent commercial or other investigational agents or therapies
• •No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• •No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients