Dexamethasone With or Without Oblimersen in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: NOTE: This trial is being conducted at many institutions throughout the country. Please contact Genta for a site near you.

* Progressive multiple myeloma defined by one of the following:

  * Primary resistance or progressive disease after achieving less than a partial response after at least 2 courses of combination chemotherapy (that included at least 1 myelosuppressive drug) within the past 3 months
  * Relapsed or progressive disease after at least a partial response to prior therapy
  * Progressive disease after high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation
* Progressive disease defined by at least 1 of the following:

  * Increase in serum M-protein by at least 50% or at least 2 g/dL above the lowest remission or baseline level
  * Increase in urinary M-protein by at least 50% or at least 2 g/24 hours above lowest remission or baseline level
  * Appearance of new lytic bone lesions or at least 50% increase in size of an existing bone lesion
* Quantifiable serum and/or urine paraprotein
* Bone marrow plasmacytosis at least 5% of total nucleated cells
* Measurable disease

  * Serum M-protein level at least 1.0 g/dL OR
  * Urinary M-protein excretion at least 200 mg/24 hours

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-3

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm3
* Platelet count at least 50,000/mm3
* No bleeding or coagulation disorder

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN
* PT and PTT no greater than 1.5 times ULN
* No history of chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

* No active symptoms of coronary artery disease (e.g., uncontrolled arrhythmias or recurrent chest pain despite prophylactic medication)
* No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
* No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
* No grade 2 or greater cardiovascular signs or symptoms within the past 4 weeks

Other:

* HIV negative
* No active peptic ulcer disease
* No uncontrolled seizure disorder
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
* No active uncontrolled infection
* No active autoimmune disease
* No hypersensitivity to phosphorothioate-containing oligonucleotides or to dexamethasone
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 3 weeks since prior immunotherapy
* At least 72 hours since prior thalidomide
* Concurrent epoetin alfa allowed

Chemotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 3 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosourea)

Endocrine therapy:

* At least 3 weeks since prior corticosteroids
* No concurrent chronic corticosteroids

Radiotherapy:

* At least 14 days since prior radiotherapy except limited radiotherapy to a single bone lesion

Surgery:

* At least 3 weeks since prior major surgery
* No prior organ allograft

Other:

* At least 4 weeks since other prior investigational therapy
* No more than 6 prior therapies for myeloma
* No concurrent immunosuppressive therapy