Thalidomide in Treating Patients With Relapsed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) evidenced by monoclonal population of mature CD5+, CD19+, CD23+, and B cells
* Relapsed after prior treatment for CLL
* Active disease with 1 or more of the following characteristics:

  * At least 10% weight loss within the past 6 months
  * Fever greater than 100.5 degrees F for at least 2 weeks without evidence of infection
  * Night sweats without evidence of infection
  * Evidence of progressive marrow failure with anemia (hemoglobin less than 11 g/dL) and/or thrombocytopenia (platelet count less than 100,000/mm\^3) (i.e., any stage III or IV disease)
  * Autoimmune anemia and/or thrombocytopenia poorly responsive to corticosteroid therapy
  * Massive or progressive splenomegaly (i.e., greater than 6 cm below the left costal margin or more than 50% increase over 2 months)
  * Progressive lymphadenopathy (i.e., more than 50% increase over 2 months)
  * Progressive lymphocytosis (not due to corticosteroids) with an increase of more than 50% over a 2-month period or an anticipated doubling time of less than 6 months
  * Marked hypogammaglobulinemia or the development of a monoclonal protein in the absence of any of the above criteria for active disease are not considered evidence of active disease
* Measurable disease

  * Absolute lymphocyte count greater than 5,000/mm\^3
* No bulky lymph node disease greater than 10 cm in at least 1 dimension except splenomegaly
* Performance status - ECOG 0-2
* Absolute neutrophil count at least 500/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 20,000/mm\^3 (in absence of sargramostim \[GM-CSF\])
* Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL
* Bilirubin no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN
* Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
* Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
* No other active malignancy
* No peripheral neuropathy (sensory) grade 2 or greater
* No active infection
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use 1 highly effective method of contraception AND 1 additional effective method of contraception for at least 4 weeks before, during, and for 4 weeks after study completion
* No prior allogeneic bone marrow transplantation
* At least 10 days since prior filgrastim (G-CSF) or GM-CSF
* No more than 3 prior chemotherapy regimens
* At least 30 days since prior chemotherapy
* No concurrent corticosteroids except for adrenal insufficiency