3-AP and Gemcitabine in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors or Lymphoma

This phase I trial is studying the best dose of 3-AP and the side effects of giving 3-AP together with gemcitabine in treating patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphoma. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as 3-AP and gemcitabine (GEM), work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. 3-AP may help gemcitabine kill more cancer cells by making the cells more sensitive to the drug. 3-AP may also stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the maximal tolerable dose (MTD) of 3-AP administered as a 24 hour infusion in combination with and fixed-dose gemcitabine hydrochloride (GEM) in patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphomas. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To define the qualitative and quantitative toxicities of the 3-AP/GEM combination in regard to organ specificity, time course, predictability, and reversibility. II. To document the therapeutic response of this combination in those patients when possible. III. To measure deoxycytidine triphosphate (dCTP) levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) before and after treatment at specified times and try to correlate findings to activity and toxicity of 3-AP. IV. To perform limited pharmacokinetic analysis. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study of 3-AP (Triapine®).Patients receive 3-AP (Triapine®) IV over 24 hours followed by gemcitabine hydrochloride IV over 100-125 minutes on days 1 and 8. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for 12 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients achieving complete response (CR) receive 1 additional course of therapy beyond documented CR.Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of 3-AP (Triapine®) until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity.After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodically for 2 years.