Fenretinide in Treating Patients With Refractory or Relapsed Hematologic Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following hematologic malignancies:

  * Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)
  * Hodgkin's lymphoma
  * Multiple myeloma
  * Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
  * Acute myeloid leukemia
  * Chronic hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis (e.g., failed 3 prior standard therapies), including any of the following:

    * Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
    * Chronic myelogenous leukemia
    * Indolent NHL
    * Myeloproliferative disorders
* Refractory or relapsed disease, as defined by 1 of the following:

  * Resistant to standard therapy for refractory or relapsed disease
  * Progressed after standard therapy for advanced disease
* No effective treatment exists
* Measurable or evaluable disease
* No active CNS disease

  * Previously treated leptomeningeal disease or brain metastases allowed provided there is no evidence of remaining cancer by positron-emission tomography, MRI, or spinal fluid cytology

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

* At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 (unless due to bone marrow involvement of disease)
* Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm\^3 (unless due to bone marrow involvement of disease)
* Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
* No coagulation disorders

Hepatic

* AST and ALT \< 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (≤ 5 times ULN for patients with liver metastasis)
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Renal

* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

* No major cardiovascular disease

Pulmonary

* No major respiratory disease

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective double-method contraception prior to study entry, during study, and for at least 6 months after study participation
* No uncontrolled systemic infection
* No uncontrolled hypertriglyceridemia (i.e., triglyceride level \> 500 mg/dL)
* No known HIV positivity
* No known allergy to egg products
* No known familial hyperlipidemia disorders
* No previously undiscovered hypertriglyceridemia
* No poorly controlled diabetes

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* Not specified

Chemotherapy

* More than 2 weeks since prior chemotherapy except hydroxyurea

  * No concurrent hydroxyurea during study drug administration
* No other concurrent anticancer chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

* No concurrent hormone-ablative agents
* No concurrent steroids
* No concurrent tamoxifen or any of its analogues

Radiotherapy

* No prior cranial radiotherapy
* More than 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

* More than 20 days since prior surgery except for biopsy

Other

* Recovered from all prior therapy
* More than 2 weeks since prior investigational agents
* No other concurrent investigational agents
* No other concurrent antineoplastic therapy
* No other concurrent antioxidants
* No concurrent herbal or other alternative therapies
* No concurrent vitamin supplements (e.g., vitamin A, ascorbic acid, or vitamin E)

  * Standard dose multivitamin allowed
* No other concurrent medications that may act as modulators of intracellular ceramide levels or ceramide cytotoxicity, sphingolipid transport, or p-glycoprotein or multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) drug/lipid transporters, including any of the following:

  * Cyclosporine or any of its analogues
  * Verapamil
  * Ketoconazole
  * Chlorpromazine
  * Mifepristone
  * Indomethacin
  * Sulfinpyrazone
* No concurrent medications that may cause pseudotumor cerebri, including any of the following:

  * Tetracycline
  * Nalidixic acid
  * Nitrofurantoin
  * Phenytoin
  * Sulfonamides
  * Lithium
  * Amiodarone
* No concurrent medication to control hypertriglyceridemia