Bortezomib and Gemcitabine Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed Hodgkin's lymphoma

  • Recurrent or refractory disease after prior standard combination chemotherapy
• Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion > 1 cm by physical exam or imaging studies
• No history of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• No history of other hematological malignancy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm^3

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (unless due to Gilbert's disease or involvement by Hodgkin's lymphoma)
• AST ≤ 3 times ULN (unless due to involvement by Hodgkin's lymphoma)

Renal

• Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• Ejection fraction ≥ 40% by MUGA or echocardiogram (in patients with a history of cardiac disease)

Pulmonary

• Must not require supplemental oxygen therapy

Immunologic

• No known HIV infection
• No uncontrolled bacterial, viral, or fungal infection

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No other malignancy requiring therapy
• No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2 within the past 14 days
• No hypersensitivity to boron
• No hypersensitivity to mannitol

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• More than 30 days since prior monoclonal antibody therapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma
• More than 6 months since prior autologous stem cell transplantation
• No prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation
• No concurrent sargramostim (GM-CSF)
• No concurrent pegfilgrastim or filgrastim (G-CSF)
• No concurrent interleukin-11(oprelvekin)

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 30 days since prior chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma
• No prior treatment with gemcitabine hydrochloride

Endocrine therapy

• More than 30 days since prior corticosteroid therapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma
• No concurrent corticosteroid therapy

Radiotherapy

• More than 30 days since prior radiotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma

Other

• No prior treatment with bortezomib
• More than 14 days since prior investigational drugs
• No other concurrent investigational agents