17-N-Allylamino-17-Demethoxygeldanamycin in Treating Patients With Metastatic Malignant Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed malignant melanoma

  • Metastatic (M1a, M1b, or M1c) disease
• Measurable disease by clinical exam, x-ray, CT scan, or MRI

• Must have documented disease progression at 2 time points separated by ≥ 6 months

  • Pre-existing visceral lesions or the appearance of new visceral lesions allowed
  • New skin disease amenable to surgery not allowed
• No primary brain tumors or brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic

• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL

Hepatic

• Bilirubin normal
• ALT and AST ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal
• No chronic liver disease
• No known hepatitis B or C positivity

Renal

• Creatinine \< 130 mmol/L OR
• Creatinine clearance > 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No transient ischemic attack
• No stroke or peripheral vascular disease

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception for 4 weeks before, during, and for 6 months after study participation
• No ongoing or active infection
• No diabetes mellitus with evidence of severe peripheral vascular disease or ulcers
• No history of allergy to eggs
• No known HIV positivity
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other uncontrolled illness
• No other malignancy except adequately treated cone-biopsied carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)

Endocrine therapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior endocrine therapy
• Concurrent steroids allowed provided they are given at the lowest possible maintenance dose

Radiotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy unless administered for palliative care
• Concurrent radiotherapy allowed provided it is administered as a single fraction for bone pain OR as indicated for palliative care

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• Recovered from all prior therapy

  • Alopecia allowed

• No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation with warfarin

  • Concurrent prophylactic warfarin for central line maintenance allowed provided INR is checked regularly until stable
  • Concurrent low-molecular weight heparin allowed
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• No other concurrent investigational drugs