PTK787/ZK 222584 in Treating Patients With Unresectable Malignant Mesothelioma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed malignant mesothelioma of 1 of the following types:
• * Epithelial
• * Sarcomatoid
• * Mixed
• Not amenable to radiotherapy or curative surgery
• Any site of origin including, but not limited to, the following:
• * Pleura
• * Peritoneum
• * Pericardium
• * Tunica vaginalis
• At least one unidimensionally measurable lesion outside of prior irradiation port
• * At least 20 mm by conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• * The following are not considered measurable:
• * Bone lesions
• * Leptomeningeal disease
• * Ascites
• * Pleural/pericardial effusion
• * Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
• * Abdominal masses that are not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques
• * Cystic lesions
• No known brain metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• Over 18
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Negative for proteinuria by dipstick OR
• Urinary protein no greater than 500 mg and creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
• Cardiovascular
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective double-barrier contraception
• No currently active second malignancy except non-melanoma skin cancers (unless therapy is completed and risk of relapse is less than 30%)
• No other concurrent uncontrolled illness
• No ongoing active infections
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• No prior signal transduction inhibitor therapy
• No prior angiogenesis inhibitor therapy
• Chemotherapy
• No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for this malignancy
• No concurrent chemotherapeutic agents
• Prior intrapleural cytotoxic or sclerosing therapy (including bleomycin) allowed
• Endocrine therapy
• No concurrent hormonal therapy except steroids for adrenal failure or hormones for non-disease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes)
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent palliative radiotherapy
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery
• Other
• At least 30 days since prior investigational agents
• At least 7 days since prior grapefruit or grapefruit juice
• At least 7 days since prior CYP3A4 inducers
• No prior PTK787/ZK 222584
• No prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No concurrent isoenzyme inducers or inhibitors of p450
• No concurrent warfarin or similar oral anticoagulants
• * Heparin allowed
• No concurrent grapefruit or grapefruit juice
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients