Bortezomib in Treating Patients With Advanced Cancer and Kidney Dysfunction

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologic proof of malignancy (including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma)
* Patients must have measurable or evaluable disease; patients with reliable tumor markers (as determined by protocol chairman) are eligible for participation
* ANC \>= 1000/uL
* PLT \>= 50,000/uL
* Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST =\< 2.5 x ULN or AST =\< 5 x ULN if liver involvement
* Patients with abnormal kidney function will be allowed and will be grouped accordingly
* Willingness to return to treating institution for follow-up
* Life expectancy \>= 12 weeks
* Willingness to provide all biologic specimens as required by the protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

* Known standard therapy for the patient's disease that is potentially curative or definitely capable of extending life expectancy
* ECOG performance status (PS) 3 or 4
* Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including but not limited to ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
* Any of the following prior therapies:

  * Chemotherapy ≤ 4 weeks
  * Mitomycin C/nitrosoureas ≤ 6 weeks
  * Immunotherapy ≤ 4 weeks
  * Biologic therapy ≤ 4 weeks
  * Radiation therapy ≤ 2 weeks
  * Radiation to \> 50 % of bone marrow (excepting patients who have had total body irradiation incorporated into bone marrow or stem cell transplantation; all other eligibility criteria still apply)
  * PS-341 treatment
* Failure to fully recover from effects of prior chemotherapy regardless of interval since last treatment (excludes renal function)
* New York Heart Association classification III or IV
* Symptomatic CNS metastases; patients who have received definitive treatment for brain metastases (radiation and/or surgery) and are stable for \>= 8 weeks are eligible; eligible patients with brain metastases should not be taking enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants and should be receiving stable doses of steroids
* Any of the following:

  * Pregnant women
  * Nursing women
  * Men or women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to employ adequate contraception (condoms, diaphragm, birth control pills, injections, intrauterine device \[IUD\], or abstinence, etc.)
  * This study involves an investigational agent whose genotoxic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects on the developing fetus and newborn are unknown
* Other concurrent chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiotherapy
* HIV-positive patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy (HAART); there is a potential for pharmacokinetic interactions
* Concurrent use of other investigational agent (including thalidomide); bisphosphonate therapy (e.g. pamidronate or zoledronate) will not be considered investigational agents for the purpose of trial eligibility
* Pre-existing grade \>= 2 neuropathy