Arsenic Trioxide in Treating Young Patients With Refractory Leukemia or Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed leukemia or lymphoma refractory to standard curative treatment regimens
Measurable or evaluable disease
No meningeal leukemia or lymphoma
No HIV-related lymphoma
No lymphoproliferative diseases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

2 to 21

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients (stratum I) must be age 2 to 12

Performance status:

ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

Not specified

Hematopoietic:

Not specified

Hepatic:

Bilirubin normal
SGPT less than 2 times upper limit of normal
No significant hepatic dysfunction that would preclude study therapy

Renal:

Creatinine normal (age adjusted) OR
Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
Potassium, magnesium, and calcium at least lower limit of normal (oral or IV supplementation allowed)
No significant renal dysfunction that would preclude study therapy

Cardiovascular:

Rate corrected QTc interval no greater than 0.48 on EKG
No significant cardiac dysfunction that would preclude study therapy
No cardiac disease, including dysrhythmias

Pulmonary:

No significant pulmonary dysfunction that would preclude study therapy

Other:

Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
No persistent grade 3 or greater sensory or motor neuropathy
No prior grand mal seizures (grade 3 or greater) within the past 2 years other than febrile seizures (except for patients with APL at discretion of investigator)
No clinically significant unrelated systemic illness that would preclude study therapy (e.g., serious infection)
HIV negative

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

At least 1 week since prior colony-stimulating factors (e.g., filgrastim [G-CSF], sargramostim [GM-CSF], and epoetin alfa)
No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy:

No prior arsenic trioxide
At least 2 weeks since prior chemotherapy (4 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered
No concurrent intrathecal chemotherapy except for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients experiencing progressive meningeal leukemia and demonstrating benefit from arsenic trioxide for systemic disease
No other concurrent anticancer chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

No concurrent steroids (except corticosteroids for retinoic acid syndrome)

Radiotherapy:

At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

Not specified

Other:

At least 6 months since prior anticonvulsants
At least 1 week since prior retinoid therapy
No concurrent retinoids
No other concurrent investigational agents