Tipifarnib and Bortezomib in Treating Patients With Acute Leukemia or Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia in Blast Phase

Inclusion Criteria

• •Meets 1 of the following disease-specific criteria:
• •* Relapsed disease after =\< 2 prior chemotherapy regimens (consolidation therapy excluded)
• •* Primary-induction failure
• •* Previously untreated and deemed unfit for or refusing cytotoxic chemotherapy
• •No hyperleukocytosis (leukemic blasts \>= 30,000/mm\^3)
• •No acute promyelocytic leukemia (M3)
• •No active CNS leukemia
• •SGOT and SGPT =\< 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •Bilirubin normal
• •Creatinine =\< 1.5 times ULN
• •No uncontrolled hypertension, congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, or ventricular dysrhythmias
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •No uncontrolled disseminated intravascular coagulation
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •* Hormonal contraception must have been initiated ≥ 1 month prior to study entry
• •No active graft-vs-host disease
• •No active uncontrolled infection
• •No intrinsic impaired organ function
• •No known allergy to imidazole drugs
• •No neuropathy \>= grade 1
• •No known hypersensitivity to bortezomib, tipifarnib, boron, or mannitol
• •No physical or psychiatric conditions that would preclude study participation, including poorly controlled psychosis
• •At least 48 hours since prior hydroxyurea
• •No prior tipifarnib, bortezomib, or investigational proteasomal inhibitors
• •No concurrent radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy
• •No concurrent enzyme-inducing antiepileptic medications (e.g., phenytoin, phenobarbital, or carbamazepine)
• •ECOG performance status 0-2
• •LVEF \>= 40%
• •Pathologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following:
• •* Acute myeloid leukemia
• •* Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• •* Chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast phase