T900607 in Treating Patients With Unresectable Liver Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
• Bidimensionally measurable disease defined as at least 1 lesion that is 1 cm or more in 2 dimensions by CT scan
• Class A or B Child-Pugh liver classification
• No prior CNS metastases or carcinomatous meningitis
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• Karnofsky 70-100%
• Life expectancy
• At least 12 weeks
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3\*
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3\*
• Hemoglobin at least 8.5 g/dL\* NOTE: \*More than 7 days since prior blood transfusions or growth factors
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Albumin greater than 2.5 g/dL
• AST and ALT no greater than 3 times ULN
• INR no greater than 1.5 (unless receiving anticoagulants)
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 2 times ULN
• Cardiovascular
• LVEF at least 50%
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease
• No acute anginal symptoms
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after study
• No severe concurrent disease, infection, or co-morbidity that would preclude study entry
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• No prior immunotherapy for HCC
• No concurrent therapeutic biological response modifier
• Chemotherapy
• No prior chemotherapy for HCC
• No prior chemoembolization for HCC
• No other concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• At least 6 weeks since prior hormonal therapy (an indicator lesion must exist outside the area of therapy
• No concurrent hormonal anticancer therapy
• Radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy for HCC
• At least 6 weeks since prior radiofrequency ablation, selective internal radiation, or embolization (an indicator lesion must exist outside the area of therapy)
• No concurrent radiotherapy (including palliative therapy)
• Surgery
• At least 6 weeks since prior surgical resection (an indicator lesion must exist outside the area of therapy)
• * Recurrence at the margin of the surgical resection is allowed
• At least 6 weeks since prior cryosurgery
• More than 4 weeks since other prior major surgery
• Other
• More than 4 weeks since prior investigational therapy
• At least 6 weeks since prior intratumoral ethanol injection (an indicator lesion must exist outside the area of therapy)
• No other concurrent investigational anticancer therapy