Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma
* Measurable or evaluable disease as defined by ≥ 1 of the following:

  * Serum monoclonal protein ≥ 1.0 g by protein electrophoresis
  * Monoclonal protein ≥ 200 mg by 24-hour urine electrophoresis
  * Serum immunoglobulin free light chain ≥ 10 mg/dL AND abnormal serum immunoglobulin kappa to lambda free light chain ratio
  * Monoclonal bone marrow plasmacytosis ≥ 30% (evaluable disease)
* No concurrent amyloidosis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status (PS) 0 or 1

  * ECOG PS 2 based on immobility from myeloma bone disease alone allowed at the discretion of treating physician
* Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
* ANC ≥ 1,000/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm³
* Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL
* Proteinuria ≤ 1 g/dL by 24-hour urine collection (excluding monoclonal protein)
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after completion of study treatment
* No bleeding diathesis
* No hypertension (defined as BP \> 150/100 mm Hg)
* No active bleeding, healing or nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture (excluding fractures secondary to myeloma)
* No active ulcerative disease including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Peptic ulcer disease
  * Ulcerative esophagitis
  * Ulcerative colitis
  * Crohn's disease
* LVEF ≥ 50% by 2-dimensional ECHO or MUGA scan
* No NYHA class III or IV heart disease
* No other active malignancy except for nonmelanoma skin cancer or in situ cervical or breast cancer
* No active infection
* No other comorbidity that would interfere with study compliance
* No transient ischemic attack, cerebrovascular accident, or myocardial infarction within the past year
* No abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intraabdominal abscess within the past 6 months
* No significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No more than 2 prior antimyeloma treatment courses, except for bisphosphonates
* No standard or experimental drug therapy, other than ongoing bisphosphonate treatment and/or epoetin alfa, within the past 28 days
* No experimental non-drug therapy within the past 28 days
* Palliative radiation therapy within the past 28 days allowed provided ≤ 3 sites of bone disease was irradiated
* No prior bevacizumab or other experimental antiangiogenic agents other than thalidomide or lenalidomide
* No minor surgical procedures, fine-needle aspiration, or core biopsies within the past 7 days
* No major surgical procedure or open biopsy within the past 28 days
* No concurrent corticosteroids

  * Chronic steroids ≤ 20 mg/day (prednisone equivalent) for disorders other than myeloma (i.e., adrenal insufficiency, rheumatoid arthritis) allowed
* No other concurrent investigational therapy
* No other concurrent systemic antineoplastic therapy including, but not limited to, the following:

  * Cytotoxic chemotherapy
  * Immunotherapy
  * Hormonal therapy
  * Monoclonal antibody therapy
* Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed