17-N-Allylamino-17-Demethoxygeldanamycin in Treating Patients With Systemic Mastocytosis

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed systemic mastocytosis

  * Objective evidence of disease, as defined by the following:

    * Hemoglobin \< 10 g/dL
    * Recurrent mast cell mediator-release symptoms that impair the patient's quality of life
    * Symptomatic hepatosplenomegaly
    * Ascites
    * Symptomatic bone disease
    * Profound constitutional symptoms (e.g., fatigue, asthenia, flushing, hyperpyrexia, weight loss, myalgia, and arthralgia)
    * Elevated serum tryptase level
* Mast cell leukemia allowed
* Mastocytosis associated with myeloproliferative disease (e.g., hypereosinophilic syndrome or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia) allowed
* Patients with eosinophilia (i.e., absolute eosinophil count ≥ 1,000/mm\^3) must be evaluated for the presence or absence of FIP1L1-PDGFRA mutation; if the mutation is absent, the patient is eligible; if the mutation is present, the patient is eligible provided disease is refractory to imatinib mesylate
* Patients with indolent disease must have a serum tryptase level ≥ 50 ng/mL OR episodes of anaphylaxis that occur with a frequency of \> 1 per month

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

* At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

* See Disease Characteristics
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 (\> 25,000/mm\^3 for patients with organomegaly)
* Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3(\> 750/mm\^3 for patients with organomegaly)

Hepatic

* AST and ALT ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (\< 4 times ULN for patients with hepatomegaly)
* Bilirubin normal
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 times ULN

Renal

* Creatinine ≤ 1.4 mg/dL OR
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

* No New York Heart Association class III-IV congestive heart failure
* No history of myocardial infarction within the past year
* No history of uncontrolled dysrhythmia
* No uncontrolled angina
* No ischemic heart disease within the past 12 months
* No congenital long QT syndrome
* No left bundle branch block
* No serious ventricular arrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation ≥ 3 beats in a row)
* QTc interval \< 450 msec for males or 470 msec for females
* LVEF \> 40% by MUGA
* MUGA or echocardiogram normal
* No prior history of cardiac toxicity after receiving anthracyclines (e.g., doxorubicin hydrochloride, daunorubicin hydrochloride, mitoxantrone hydrochloride, bleomycin, or carmustine)
* No cardiac symptoms ≥ grade 2
* No other significant cardiac disease

Pulmonary

* No symptomatic pulmonary disease requiring medication including any of the following:

  * Dyspnea on or off exertion
  * Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
  * Requirement for oxygen
  * Significant pulmonary disease (e.g., chronic obstructive/restrictive pulmonary disease)
* No home oxygen meeting the Medicare requirement
* No compromised pulmonary status (i.e., DLCO ≤ 80%)
* No prior history of pulmonary toxicity after receiving anthracyclines (e.g., doxorubicin hydrochloride, daunorubicin hydrochloride, mitoxantrone hydrochloride, bleomycin, or carmustine)
* No pulmonary symptoms ≥ grade 2

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 6 months after completion of study treatment
* HIV negative
* No active uncontrolled infection
* No serious medical illness
* No other non-malignant systemic disease
* No history of serious allergic reaction to eggs
* No other malignancy within the past 2 years except dermatological cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* Not specified

Chemotherapy

* At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

* Steroids allowed provided tapering to the lowest level possible to treat thrombocytopenia, diarrhea, or malabsorption symptoms of systemic mastocytosis

Radiotherapy

* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
* No prior radiation that included the heart in the field (e.g., mantle) or chest

Surgery

* Not specified

Other

* At least 4 weeks since prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors
* No concurrent complimentary or alternative medications\* including, but not limited to, the following:

  * Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
  * Milk thistle
  * Kava kava
  * Mistletoe extract
* No concurrent agents that cause QTc prolongation
* No concurrent antiarrhythmic therapy
* No other concurrent investigational therapy NOTE: \*Unless approved by the investigator