Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Diagnosis of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma

Measurable or evaluable disease as defined by ≥ 1 of the following:

Serum monoclonal protein ≥ 1.0 g by protein electrophoresis
Monoclonal protein ≥ 200 mg by 24-hour urine electrophoresis
Serum immunoglobulin free light chain ≥ 10 mg/dL AND abnormal serum immunoglobulin kappa to lambda free light chain ratio
Monoclonal bone marrow plasmacytosis ≥ 30% (evaluable disease)
No concurrent amyloidosis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

ECOG performance status (PS) 0 or 1

ECOG PS 2 based on immobility from myeloma bone disease alone allowed at the discretion of treating physician
Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
ANC ≥ 1,000/mm³
Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm³
Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL
Proteinuria ≤ 1 g/dL by 24-hour urine collection (excluding monoclonal protein)
Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after completion of study treatment
No bleeding diathesis
No hypertension (defined as BP > 150/100 mm Hg)
No active bleeding, healing or nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture (excluding fractures secondary to myeloma)

No active ulcerative disease including, but not limited to, any of the following:

Peptic ulcer disease
Ulcerative esophagitis
Ulcerative colitis
Crohn's disease
LVEF ≥ 50% by 2-dimensional ECHO or MUGA scan
No NYHA class III or IV heart disease
No other active malignancy except for nonmelanoma skin cancer or in situ cervical or breast cancer
No active infection
No other comorbidity that would interfere with study compliance
No transient ischemic attack, cerebrovascular accident, or myocardial infarction within the past year
No abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intraabdominal abscess within the past 6 months
No significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

See Disease Characteristics
No more than 2 prior antimyeloma treatment courses, except for bisphosphonates
No standard or experimental drug therapy, other than ongoing bisphosphonate treatment and/or epoetin alfa, within the past 28 days
No experimental non-drug therapy within the past 28 days
Palliative radiation therapy within the past 28 days allowed provided ≤ 3 sites of bone disease was irradiated
No prior bevacizumab or other experimental antiangiogenic agents other than thalidomide or lenalidomide
No minor surgical procedures, fine-needle aspiration, or core biopsies within the past 7 days
No major surgical procedure or open biopsy within the past 28 days

No concurrent corticosteroids

Chronic steroids ≤ 20 mg/day (prednisone equivalent) for disorders other than myeloma (i.e., adrenal insufficiency, rheumatoid arthritis) allowed
No other concurrent investigational therapy

No other concurrent systemic antineoplastic therapy including, but not limited to, the following:

Cytotoxic chemotherapy
Immunotherapy
Hormonal therapy
Monoclonal antibody therapy
Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed