Alvespimycin Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Relapsed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma, or B-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients must have histologically confirmed B-CLL/SLL or a B-PLL according to 2008 World Health Organization (WHO) diagnostic criteria

Patients must meet one or more of the following modified indications for treatment as described in the 2008 International Workshop on CLL (IWCLL) guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of CLL:

Progressive disease, marked splenomegaly, and/or lymphadenopathy, or need to de-bulk disease for future allogeneic transplantation
Anemia (hemoglobin < 11 g/dL) or thrombocytopenia (platelet count < 100,000/mm^3)
Unexplained weight loss exceeding 10% of body weight over the past 6 months
Fatigue grade 2 or 3 as measured by Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) Active Version
Fevers > 100.5º F OR night sweats for > 2 weeks without evidence of infection
Progressive lymphocytosis, with an increase exceeding 50% over a 2-month period or a doubling time of < 6 months
Patients must have received at least one prior therapy that includes either fludarabine or equivalent nucleoside analogue, or an alternative regimen if a contra-indication (i.e. autoimmune hemolytic anemia) or patient desire not to receive fludarabine exists
Children are excluded from this study but may be eligible for future pediatric trials
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =< 2 (Karnofsky >= 60%)
Life expectancy of greater than 12 weeks
Total bilirubin =< 1.5 X institutional upper limit of normal (ULN)
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)(serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase [SGPT]) =< 2.5 X institutional ULN
Creatinine within normal institutional limits
Creatinine clearance >= 50 mL/min/1.73 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal
QTc < 500 msec
Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) > 40% by multi gated acquisition scan (MUGA)
No history of serious ventricular arrhythmia
No myocardial infarction or active ischemic heart disease within the past year
No New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV congestive heart failure
No poorly controlled angina
No uncontrolled dysrhythmia requiring medication
No left bundle branch block
No history of congenital long QT syndrome
Pulse oximetry at rest or on exercise > 88%
No symptomatic pulmonary disease (Asthma or COPD that is controlled is acceptable)
Women of childbearing potential (WOCP) are required to have negative pregnancy test (serum) within 10-14 days and within 24 hours prior to the first dose of 17-DMAG; further, WOCP and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) for a time frame of 14 days prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, the treating physician should be notified immediately
Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients who have had chemotherapy or radiotherapy within 4 weeks (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) prior to entering the study or those who have not recovered from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier; corticosteroids alone will not be considered prior therapy, but must be discontinued at least 24 hours prior to the first day of 17-DMAG administration unless continued for indications other than the primary malignancy
Patients may not be receiving any other investigational agents
Patients with known central nervous system involvement should be excluded from this clinical trial because of their poor prognosis and because they often develop progressive neurologic dysfunction that would confound the evaluation of neurologic and other adverse events
History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to 17-DMAG
Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to ongoing or active infection requiring iv antibiotics, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
Pregnant women are excluded from this study because 17-DMAG is an agent with the potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects; because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with 17-DMAG, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with 17-DMAG
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are ineligible because of the potential for pharmacokinetic interactions with 17-DMAG