Bortezomib in Treating Patients With Multiple Myeloma Who Have Undergone an Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of multiple myeloma

• Must have completed high-dose melphalan and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

  • Transplant must have been completed 30-120 days ago
  • Must not be receiving maintenance therapy
  • Patients must have received 200 mg/m² of melphalan intravenously as a conditioning regimen (no dose reduction allowed)
• No evidence of amyloidosis
• No available donor

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 or Karnofsky PS 60-100%
• Absolute neutrophil count > 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count > 75,000/mm^3
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal
• Transaminase ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Must have a negative HIV test
• No baseline neurological disease > grade I
• No cranial nerve palsy
• No demonstrated resistance to bortezomib
• No history of allergic reactions attributed to bortezomib, boron, or mannitol
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No ongoing or active infection
• No other uncontrolled illness
• No psychiatric illness or social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No other concurrent anticancer therapies or agents
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• Not receiving maintenance therapy after prior stem cell transplantation on another clinical trial