Dasatinib in Treating Patients With Previously Treated Malignant Mesothelioma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed malignant mesothelioma of any of the following subtypes:

  * Epithelial
  * Sarcomatoid
  * Mixed
* Any site of origin of malignant mesothelioma allowed including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Pleura
  * Peritoneum
  * Pericardium
  * Tunica vaginalis
* Pathology blocks or slides from a core surgical biopsy must be available
* Not amenable to curative surgery
* Measurable disease, defined as lesions that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded) as ≥ 20 mm with conventional techniques (CT scan , MRI, or x-ray) or as ≥ 10 mm with spiral CT scan

  * Patients with pleural rind only disease must have at least one level with one rind measurement ≥ 1.5 cm
  * Lesions that are considered nonmeasurable include the following:

    * Bone lesions
    * Leptomeningeal disease
    * Ascites
    * Pleural/pericardial effusion
    * Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
    * Abdominal masses that are not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques
    * Cystic lesions
* Prior treatment with one and only one systemic chemotherapy regimen, which must have included pemetrexed disodium required

  * Treatment may have been with pemetrexed disodium alone or in combination with any other agent
* No symptomatic pleural effusions, unless the patient undergoes a therapeutic thoracentesis

  * Patients with pleural effusions who have had a pleurodesis are eligible
* No known brain metastases
* May be registered on CALGB-150707 companion study

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-1
* Granulocytes ≥ 1,500/μL
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/μL
* Total bilirubin ≤ 2 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST (SGOT) ≤ 2.5 x ULN
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
* INR \< 1.5
* PTT \< 40 seconds
* QTc \< 450 msec
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No significant cardiac disease, including any of the following:

  * New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III-IV congestive heart failure (CHF)
  * Unstable angina
  * Myocardial infarction or ventricular tachyarrhythmia within 6 months of study entry
  * Ejection fraction less than institutional normal (in patients with a history of CHF or currently with NYHA class I or II CHF)
  * Prolonged QTc \> 450 msec (Fridericia correction)
  * Major conduction abnormality, unless a cardiac pacemaker is present
  * Hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia that cannot be corrected
* No history of significant bleeding disorder unrelated to cancer, including any of the following:

  * Congenital bleeding disorder (e.g., von Willebrand disease)
  * Acquired bleeding disorder within the past year (e.g., acquired anti-factor VIII antibodies)
  * Ongoing or recent (≤ 3 months) significant GI bleeding or hemoptysis
* No requirement for supplemental oxygen (i.e., pulse oximetry \< 89% at rest)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* At least 4 weeks since prior pemetrexed disodium-containing chemotherapy
* At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery
* At least 4 weeks since prior radiation therapy

  * Measurable disease must be outside the radiation port
* Prior intracavitary cytotoxic or sclerosing therapy (including bleomycin) allowed

  * Intrapleural cytotoxic chemotherapy will not be considered systemic chemotherapy
* At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent antithrombotic or anti-platelet agents, including any of the following:

  * Aspirin or aspirin-containing combinations
  * Clopidogrel
  * Dipyridamole
  * Tirofiban
  * Epoprostenol
  * Eptifibatide
  * Cilostazol
  * Abciximab
  * Ticlopidine
  * Warfarin

    * Low-dose warfarin for prophylaxis to prevent catheter thrombosis allowed
  * Heparin or low molecular weight heparin

    * Heparin for IV line flush allowed
* At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent use of the following drugs:

  * Itraconazole
  * Ketoconazole (at doses \> 200 mg/day)
  * Miconazole
  * Voriconazole
  * Telithromycin
  * Primidone
  * Rifabutin
  * Rifampin
  * St. John's wort
  * Carbamazepine
  * Oxcarbazepine
  * Rifapentine
  * Phenobarbital
  * Phenytoin
  * Quinidine
  * Procainamide
  * Disopyramide
  * Amiodarone
  * Sotalol
  * Ibutilide
  * Dofetilide
  * Erythromycin
  * Clarithromycin
  * Chlorpromazine
  * Haloperidol
  * Mesoridazine
  * Thioridazine
  * Pimozide
  * Bepridil
  * Droperidol
  * Halofantrine
  * Levomethadyl
  * Sparfloxacin
* No concurrent H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors
* No bisphosphonate therapy during the first 8 weeks of study treatment
* No concurrent hormones or other chemotherapeutic agents except for steroids administered for dasatinib-related pleural effusion or hormones administered for non-disease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes)
* No concurrent palliative radiation therapy