Perifosine in Treating Patients With Refractory Solid Tumors or Hematologic Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

* Determine the dose-limiting toxicity and maximum tolerated dose of perifosine administered as a varying series of loading and maintenance doses in patients with refractory solid tumors, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, or Hodgkin's lymphoma. * Determine the profile of adverse reactions (including changes in laboratory parameters) in patients treated with this regimen. * Determine any disease responses that may occur in patients treated with this regimen. * Determine the steady-state pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of this regimen in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study.

Patients receive a loading dose of oral perifosine on day 1 followed by a maintenance dose 2-3 times daily beginning on day 2 or 3 and continuing until day 21. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of unacceptable toxicity or disease progression.

Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating loading and maintenance doses of perifosine until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of each is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Once the MTD is determined, an additional 10 patients are treated at that dose level.

Patients are followed every 3 months.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A maximum of 45 patients will be accrued for this study within 12-18 months.