Interleukin-2 in Treating Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed myelodysplastic syndrome: Refractory anemia (RA), refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS), refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB) or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML)
* No patients with refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAEB-t)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 15 and over

Performance status:

* Karnofsky 70-100

Hematopoietic:

* Platelet count greater than 20,000

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin less than 1.6 mg/dL
* SGOT less than 150 U/L

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

* No symptoms of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, edema, clinically manifest hypotension, presence of cardiac arrhythmias on EKG, or severe hypertension

Pulmonary:

* No significant pleural effusion, dyspnea at rest or severe exertional dyspnea

Other:

* No patients with nephrotic syndrome
* No uncontrolled infections or active peptic ulcer disease
* No serious intercurrent medical illness
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Adequate contraception required of all patients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior immunosuppressive therapy

Chemotherapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* At least 2 weeks since corticosteroid therapy
* At least 4 weeks since other endocrine therapy

Radiotherapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

* Not specified