Bortezomib in Treating Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

* Histologically confirmed malignant pleural mesothelioma
* Meets 1 of the following criteria for first-line or second-line chemotherapy:

  * Patients in the first-line setting must be unsuitable for, cannot access locally, or refuse combination chemotherapy
  * Patients in the second-line setting must be unsuitable for, cannot access locally, or refuse cytotoxic chemotherapy after failure of a first-line regimen

    * Second-line patients may not have received more than 1 prior line of antineoplastic treatment for this cancer
* Pleural effusions should be drained before treatment whenever possible

  * Talc or tetracycline pleurodesis may be used per standard practice for uncontrollable pleural effusions (recurrent despite regular drainage)

Exclusion criteria:

* Symptomatic or known brain or leptomeningeal metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL
* Neutrophil count ≥ 1,500 mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min
* AST and ALT \< 3 times upper limit of normal
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during study therapy

Exclusion criteria:

* Pregnant or breastfeeding
* History of prior malignant tumor within the past 3 years except for nonmelanoma skin tumor or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
* Patients suitably fit to receive a platinum doublet based chemotherapy (first-line only)
* Uncontrolled or severe cardiovascular disease including any of the following:

  * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  * New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure
  * Uncontrolled angina
  * Clinically significant pericardial disease
  * Cardiac amyloidosis
* Neuropathy ≥ grade 2 OR grade 1 with pain
* Serious medical (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, hepatic disease, or infection) or psychiatric illness that would interfere with study participation
* Patients with known HIV or hepatitis B or C infection

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior bortezomib
* No prior extensive radiation therapy, systemic chemotherapy, or other antineoplastic therapy within 4 weeks before enrollment
* No preplanned surgery or procedures that would interfere with the study
* More than 4 weeks since enrollment in another therapeutic clinical trial (i.e., received an experimental drug or used an experimental medical device)

  * Concurrent participation in non-treatment studies is allowed provided they do not interfere with participation in this study
* No concurrent experimental or antineoplastic agent other than bortezomib

  * Medications that may have antineoplastic activity, but are taken for other reasons than specific antineoplastic effect (e.g., megestrol \[Megace®\], cyclo-oxygenase-2 \[COX-2\] inhibitors, or bisphosphonates) are allowed