DJ-927 as Second-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Progressive Locally Advanced or Metastatic Colorectal Adenocarcinoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum
• * Progressive locally advanced or metastatic disease
• Received 1 prior irinotecan- or oxaliplatin-containing regimen
• At least 1 measurable lesion
• * Target lesion must be outside field of prior radiotherapy
• No symptomatic brain metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• At least 3 months
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic
• ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Renal
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Gastrointestinal
• No difficulty with swallowing
• No malabsorption
• No diarrhea (excess of 2-3 stools/day above normal frequency) within the past month
• No history of chronic diarrhea
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• HIV negative
• No concurrent serious infection
• No other concurrent severe or uncontrolled underlying medical condition that would preclude study participation
• No neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• No history of any severe or life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction
• No psychiatric disorder that would preclude study compliance
• No other malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• No concurrent biologic therapy
• Chemotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy and recovered
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• * Localized radiotherapy to non-indicator lesions for pain relief allowed provided other methods of pain control are ineffective
• Surgery
• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery and recovered
• No prior major surgery in the stomach or small intestine
• Other
• More than 28 days since prior investigational agents (including analgesics and/or antiemetics)
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• No other concurrent cytotoxic therapy
• No concurrent grapefruit products