FR901228 in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of 1 of the following cellular types:

Diffuse large cell
Mantle cell
Burkitt's

Relapsed or refractory disease

No more than 2 prior regimen for patients with refractory disease
Any number of prior therapies (including peripheral blood stem cell or bone marrow transplantation) allowed for patients with relapsed disease provided there was an objective response to the most recent therapy

Measurable disease

At least 1 lesion ≥ 1.5 cm in diameter
No transformed lymphoma
No CNS lymphoma
Ineligible for, refused, or relapsed after stem cell transplantation

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

18 and over

Performance status

ECOG 0-2

Hematopoietic

Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm^3 (500/mm^3 in patients with extensive bone marrow involvement [> 50%] or hypersplenism with palpable splenomegaly)
Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm^3 (50,000/mm^3 in patients with extensive bone marrow involvement or hypersplenism with palpable splenomegaly)

Hepatic

Bilirubin ≤ upper limit of normal (ULN)
Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2 times ULN
AST ≤ 2 times ULN

Renal

Creatinine ≤ ULN

Cardiovascular

QTc < 500 msec by ECG
Cardiac function ≥ 50% by MUGA
No prior serious ventricular arrhythmia
No New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure
No significant cardiac hypertrophy by ECG
No other significant cardiac disease

Pulmonary

No chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Other

Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
HIV negative
No active infection
No diabetes
No other uncontrolled serious medical condition

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Chemotherapy

Prior cumulative doxorubicin dose < 450 mg/m^2
Prior cumulative mitoxantrone dose < 112 mg/m^2
Prior doxorubicin equivalent dose < 450 mg/m^2 (for patients who have previously received both doxorubicin and mitoxantrone)

Other

Recovered from all prior therapy
No prior histone deacetylase inhibitor therapy
No concurrent medication associated with QTc prolongation, such as dolasetron
Concurrent hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, or other diuretics allowed provided patient is on concurrent potassium chloride supplementation