Flavopiridol in Treating Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or Prolymphocytic Leukemia

This phase II trial is studying how well flavopiridol works in treating patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or prolymphocytic leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as flavopiridol, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine the complete response (CR) and overall response rate (CR + Partial Response \[PR\]) of this regimen.

II. To assess the toxicity profile of this regimen. III. To examine response duration, progression-free survival and overall survival, following this treatment.

IV. To assess the pharmacokinetics of this novel schedule of administration.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine the influence of adverse prognostic factors including interphase cytogenetics, VH mutational status, ZAP-70 expression, CD38, and p53 mutational status with response to flavopiridol treatment.

II. To determine the influence of flavopiridol treatment on serial measurements of mcl-1 (mRNA and protein), HIF-1 (mRNA and protein), NF-kappaB activity, IkappaB, IkappaB phosphorylation, GSK-beta, and IL-6 down-stream targets.

III. To assess the relationship of drug induced apoptosis and mitochondrial perturbation of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) cells in vitro and subsequent relationship to clinical response and tumor lysis in vivo.

IV. To examine cytokine levels (IL-6, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha) during treatment with flavopiridol.

V. To assess pharmacokinetics (PK) to determine the variability of PK and PD analyses between treatment administrations and correlation with specific Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) potentially involved in flavopiridol disposition.

VI. To assess differences in diagnosis and relapse samples to investigate mechanisms of acquired flavopiridol resistance in primary CLL cells.

OUTLINE: This is an open-label study. Patients receive flavopiridol IV over 30 minutes followed by a 4-hour infusion on days 1, 8, 15, and 22.

Treatment repeats every 42 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients achieving at least a partial remission (PR) and whose PR lasts for \> 6 months after completion of treatment may receive 6 additional courses of flavopiridol.Patients are followed at 2 months and then every 3 months for 5 years.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically confirmed B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL) arising from CLL

  * No de novo PLL
  * Lymphocyte count \> 5,000/mm\^3 at some point since initial diagnosis of CLL
  * B-cells co-expressing CD5 AND CD19 or CD20
  * If no dim serum immunoglobulin or CD23 expression on leukemia cells, must be examined for cyclin D1 overexpression OR t(11;14) to rule out mantle cell lymphoma
* Requiring therapy, defined by any of the following:

  * Massive or progressive splenomegaly and/or lymphadenopathy
  * Anemia (hemoglobin \< 11 g/dL) OR thrombocytopenia (platelet count \< 100,000/mm\^3)
  * Weight loss \> 10% within the past 6 months
  * Grade 2 or 3 fatigue
  * Fevers \> 100.5°C or night sweats for \> 2 weeks with no evidence of infection
  * Progressive lymphocytosis with an increase of \> 50% over a 2-month period OR an anticipated doubling time \< 6 months
* Received ≥ 1 prior chemotherapy regimen that included fludarabine or nucleoside equivalent OR alternative therapy if contraindication to fludarabine exists (i.e., autoimmune hemolytic anemia)
* Performance status - ECOG 0-2
* More than 2 years
* See Disease Characteristics
* Baseline cytopenias allowed
* WBC ≤ 200,000/mm\^3
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (unless due to Gilbert's disease, hemolysis, or disease infiltration of the liver)
* AST ≤ 2 times ULN (unless due to hemolysis or disease infiltration of the liver)
* Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other malignancy that would limit life expectancy
* See Disease Characteristics
* No other concurrent chemotherapy
* No concurrent chronic corticosteroids or corticosteroids as antiemetics
* No concurrent hormonal therapy except steroids for new adrenal failure or hormones for nondisease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes)
* No concurrent radiotherapy