Mithramycin for Lung, Esophagus, and Other Chest Cancers

* INCLUSION CRITERIA:
* Diagnosis: Patients with measurable inoperable, histologically confirmed primary lung and esophageal carcinomas, thymic neoplasms, germ cell tumors, malignant pleural mesotheliomas or chest wall sarcomas, as well as patients with gastric, colorectal or renal cancers and sarcomas metastatic to the thorax are eligible
* Histologic confirmation of disease in the Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH).
* Disease amenable to biopsy via percutaneous approach or other minimally invasive procedures such as thoracoscopy, bronchoscopy, laparoscopy, or gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy
* Age \>18
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status 0-2.
* Patients must have had or refused first-line standard chemotherapy for their inoperable malignancies.
* Patients must have had no chemotherapy, biologic therapy, or radiation therapy for their malignancy for at least 30 days prior to treatment. Patients may have received localized radiation therapy to non-target lesions provided that the radiotherapy is completed 14 days prior to commencing therapy, and the patient has recovered from any toxicity. At least 3 half-lives must have elapsed since monoclonal antibody treatment. At least six weeks must have elapsed between mitomycin C or nitrosourea treatment.
* Patients must have adequate organ and marrow function as defined below:

  a) Hematologic and Coagulation Parameters:

  i. Peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) greater than or equal to 1500/mm\^3

ii. Platelets greater than or equal to 100,000/ mm\^3 (transfusion independent)

iii. Hemoglobin greater than or equal to 8 g/dL (peripheral red blood count (PRBC) transfusions permitted)

iv. Prothrombin Time (PT)/Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) within normal limits (patient may be eligible for trial if abnormality is deemed clinically insignificant and cleared for protocol therapy by Hematology Consult Service)

b) Hepatic Function

i. Bilirubin (total) \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

ii. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT)) less than or equal to 3.0 times ULN

iii. Albumin \> 2 g/dL

c) Renal Function

i. Creatinine within normal institutional limits or creatinine clearance greater than or equal to 60 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal.

ii. Normal ionized calcium, magnesium and phosphorus (can be on oral supplementation)

* Cardiac Function: Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) \>40% by Echocardiogram, multi-gated acquisition scan (MUGA), or cardiac magnetic resonance (MR).
* Ability of subject to understand, and be willing to sign informed consent.
* Female and male patients (and when relevant their partners) must be willing to practice birth control (including abstinence) during and for two months after treatment, if of childbearing potential during sexual contact with a female of childbearing potential.
* Patients must be willing to undergo 2 tumor biopsies

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

* Patients with adenosine 5-triphosphate binding cassette subfamily B member 4 (ABCB4), adenosine 5-triphosphate binding cassette subfamily B member 11 (ABCB11), retinal-binding protein (RALBP) or cytochrome P851 (CYP851) genotypes associated with mithramycin-mediated hepatotoxicity.
* Clinically significant systemic illness (e.g. serious active infections or significant cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic or other organ dysfunction), that in the judgment of the Principal Investigator (PI) would compromise the patients ability to tolerate protocol therapy or significantly increase the risk of complications
* Patients with cerebral metastases
* Patients with any of the following pulmonary function abnormalities will be excluded: forced expiratory volume (FEV), \< 30% predicted; diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), \< 30% predicted (post-bronchodilator); Oxygen saturation greater than 92% on room air. Arterial Blood Gas will be drawn if clinically indicated.
* Patients with evidence of active bleeding, intratumoral hemorrhage or history of bleeding diatheses, unless specifically occurring as an isolated incident during reversible chemotherapy induced thrombocytopenia
* Patients on therapeutic anticoagulation. Note: prophylactic anticoagulation (i.e. intraluminal heparin) for venous or arterial access devices is allowed
* Patients who are concurrently receiving or requiring any of the following agents, which may increase the risk for mithramycin related toxicities, such as hemorrhage:

  * Thrombolytic agents
  * Aspirin or salicylate-containing products, which may increase risk of hemorrhage
  * Dextran
  * Dipyridamole
  * Sulfinpyrazone
  * Valproic acid
  * Clopidogrel
* Lactating or pregnant females (due to risk to fetus or newborn, and lack of testing for excretion in breast milk)
* Patients with history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) or Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) due to potentially increased risk of mithramycin toxicity in this population
* Hypersensitivity to mithramycin
* Patients who in the opinion of the investigator may not be able to comply with the safety monitoring requirements of the study