Imatinib Mesylate in Treating Patients With HIV-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) involving at least 1 of the following areas:
• * Skin
• * Lymph nodes
• * Oral cavity
• * Gastrointestinal tract\*
• * Lungs\* NOTE: \*Must be asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic AND does not require systemic cytotoxic therapy
• Serological documentation of HIV infection, as evidenced by positive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western Blot test, or other federally approved licensed HIV test
• At least 5 measurable, non-irradiated, cutaneous indicator lesions
• * Patients must have 3 lesions at least 5 x 5 mm that are accessible for 4 mm punch biopsy
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy
• At least 3 months
• Hematopoietic
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Bilirubin normal
• * Patients with elevated bilirubin secondary to indinavir or atazanavir allowed provided total bilirubin is \< 3.5 mg/dL AND direct bilirubin is normal
• No acute or known chronic liver disease (e.g., chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis)
• * Hepatitis C infection with minimal or no fibrosis on liver biopsy allowed
• Renal
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance \> 60 mL/min
• Cardiovascular
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease
• No congestive heart failure
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for 3 months after study participation
• No concurrent active opportunistic infection
• No other severe and/or life-threatening medical disease
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except clinically insignificant malignancy not requiring active intervention, basal cell skin cancer, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy for KS
• More than 2 weeks since prior granulocyte colony-stimulating factor
• No concurrent biologic agents for KS
• Chemotherapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy for KS (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• No concurrent chemotherapy for KS, including systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• No concurrent systemic corticosteroid therapy except replacement doses
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy for KS
• No concurrent radiotherapy for KS
• Surgery
• More than 2 weeks since prior major surgery
• Other
• No prior imatinib mesylate
• More than 60 days since prior local therapy to any KS indicator lesion unless the lesion has progressed since treatment
• More than 4 weeks since prior investigational therapy for KS
• More than 4 weeks since other prior therapy for KS
• More than 14 days since prior acute treatment for an infection or other serious medical illness
• No concurrent warfarin
• No concurrent grapefruit juice
• No other concurrent therapy for KS
• No other concurrent investigational drugs
• Concurrent antiretroviral therapy required except for patients who have exhausted all available treatment options