Oblimersen in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia

You may be eligible if

• Diagnosis of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) confirmed by both of the following:
• * Bone marrow lymphoplasmacytosis with greater than 10% lymphoplasmacytic cells or aggregates, sheets, lymphocytes, plasma cells, or lymphoplasmacytic cells on bone marrow biopsy
• * Measurable disease, defined by quantitative IgM monoclonal protein greater than 1,000 mg/dL
• Symptomatic relapsed or refractory disease requiring therapy, defined by at least 1 of the following:
• * Impaired bone marrow function due to disease infiltration as demonstrated by any of the following:
• * Hemoglobin less than 11 g/dL
• * Requires epoetin alfa therapy to maintain hemoglobin of at least 11 g/dL
• * Platelet count less than 100,000/mm\^3
• * Symptomatic bulky lymphadenopathy
• * Symptoms attributable to hyperviscosity (e.g., nose bleeding, gingival bleeding, or retinal hemorrhage) or serum viscosity level relative to water greater than 4
• Received at least 1 prior chemotherapy regimen which included chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, fludarabine, cladribine, or pentostatin
• No secondary leukemia or history of antecedent hematologic disorder (e.g., myelodysplasia) prior to initial onset of WM
• Performance status - ECOG 0-2
• Not specified
• See Disease Characteristics
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm\^3\*
• Platelet count at least 50,000/mm\^3\*
• No bleeding disorder
• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST less than 1.5 times ULN
• Albumin at least 2.5 g/dL
• PT no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• INR no greater than 1.3
• PTT no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• No history of chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis
• Creatinine no greater than 2 times ULN
• No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
• No active symptoms of coronary artery disease, including the following:
• * Uncontrolled arrhythmias
• * Recurrent chest pain despite prophylactic medication
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• No grade 2 or greater cardiovascular signs and symptoms within the past 4 weeks
• HIV negative
• Direct Coombs' test negative
• No autoimmune thrombocytopenia
• No uncontrolled serious infection
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Adequate venous access for 7-day continuous infusion of study drug
• Intellectual, emotional, and physical ability to maintain an ambulatory infusion pump
• No other cancer except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or other cancer from which the patient has been disease-free for at least 5 years
• No known hypersensitivity to phosphorothioate-containing oligonucleotides
• No uncontrolled seizure disorder
• More than 21 days since prior immunotherapy for WM
• More than 21 days since prior cytokine, biologic, or vaccine therapy for WM
• More than 8 weeks since prior plasmapheresis or plasma exchange
• No prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation
• No concurrent plasmapheresis or plasma exchange
• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent corticosteroid therapy
• More than 21 days since prior radiotherapy for WM
• More than 21 days since prior major surgery for WM
• No prior organ allograft
• Recovered from all prior therapy
• More than 21 days since other prior therapy for WM
• No other concurrent investigational therapy
• No concurrent immunosuppressive drugs
• No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation therapy