Combretastatin A4 Phosphate in Treating Patients With Advanced Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed\* anaplastic or poorly differentiated variant thyroid cancer, including 1 of the following:
• * Recurrent/regionally advanced disease no longer amenable to definitive curative surgery or radiotherapy
• * Untreated metastatic disease NOTE: \*If original/diagnostic tumor blocks are unavailable, tumor must be accessible for pretreatment core needle biopsy
• Must have relapsed or progressed during or after prior combined modality therapy (e.g., systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy) for regionally advanced (but not metastatic) disease
• Measurable or evaluable disease
• Patent trachea and airway by screening direct and indirect laryngoscopy\* NOTE: \*For patients with bulky thyroid/neck masses and/or suspected airway obstruction
• No active brain metastases, as evidenced by any of the following:
• * Symptomatic involvement
• * Cerebral edema by CT scan or MRI
• * Radiographic evidence of progression since definitive therapy
• * Continued requirement for corticosteroids
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• At least 12 weeks
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 75,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 8.5 g/dL
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• ALT and AST no greater than 3.5 times ULN
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Cardiovascular
• LVEF at least 50% by MUGA
• EKG normal
• * No evidence of prior myocardial infarction (e.g., significant Q waves), QTc greater than 450 msec, or other clinically significant abnormalities
• No history of angina (even if controlled by medication)
• No congestive heart failure
• No uncontrolled atrial arrhythmias
• No clinically significant arrhythmias, including any of the following:
• * Conduction abnormalities
• * Nodal junctional arrhythmias and dysrhythmias
• * Sinus bradycardia or tachycardia
• * Supraventricular arrhythmias
• * Atrial fibrillation or flutter
• * Syncope or vasovagal episodes
• No significant heart wall abnormality or heart muscle damage by MUGA
• No uncontrolled hypertension (blood pressure consistently greater than 150 mm Hg systolic and 100 mm Hg diastolic regardless of medication)
• * Patients with previous hypertension are allowed provided there is clinical documentation of controlled blood pressure for 2 months prior to study enrollment
• No symptomatic peripheral vascular disease
• No symptomatic cerebrovascular disease
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No grade 2 or greater preexisting motor or sensory peripheral neuropathy
• No uncontrolled hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia
• No concurrent serious infection
• No other nonmalignant medical illness that is uncontrolled or whose control may be jeopardized by study therapy
• No psychiatric disorders or other conditions that would preclude study compliance
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• No concurrent biologic therapy
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• No concurrent prophylactic colony-stimulating factors (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\])
• Chemotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent hormonal therapy, except any of the following:
• * Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists for hormone-refractory prostate cancer
• * Hormone replacement therapy
• * Oral contraceptives
• * Megestrol for anorexia/cachexia
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy with progressive disease beyond radiation ports
• No prior radiotherapy to more than 30% of the bone marrow
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery
• Other
• At least 6 weeks since other prior therapy associated with delayed toxicity
• No prior therapy for metastatic disease
• No concurrent medication(s) known to prolong the QTc interval, unless medication(s) can be held for at least 72 hours before, during, and for at least 6 hours after study drug administration
• No other concurrent investigational therapy
• No other concurrent antineoplastic or cytotoxic therapy