OBJECTIVES:~I. Determine the maximum tolerated dose of PS-341 in patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or chronic myeloid leukemia in blast phase.~II. Assess the plasma pharmacology of this drug, its ability to inhibit proteasome function and to accelerate apoptosis in circulating blasts in this patient population.~III. Assess the antileukemic effects of this drug in these patients.~OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study.~Patients receive PS-341 IV bolus twice weekly for 4 weeks followed by 2 weeks of rest. Treatment continues for a maximum of 12 courses in the absence of unacceptable toxicity or disease progression.~Cohorts of 2 patients receive escalating doses of PS-341 until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose level associated with toxicity probability closest to 0.2 after 30 patients are treated.
Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of PS-341 in treating patients who have refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia in blast phase, or myelodysplastic syndrome. PS-341 may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for cancer cell growth