Celecoxib in Treating Patients With Progressive Metastatic Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed thyroid carcinoma, including 1 of the following subtypes:
• * Papillary
• * Follicular
• * Hurthle cell
• * Insular
• Assessable disease, defined by at least 1 of the following:
• * Metastatic (including neck lymph nodes) measurable disease
• * At least 20 mm by conventional techniques or at least 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• * The following are not considered measurable disease:
• * Leptomeningeal disease
• * Ascites
• * Pleural/pericardial effusion
• * Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
• * Abdominal masses that are not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques
• * Cystic lesions
• * Tumor lesions within a previously irradiated area
• * Elevated serum thyroglobulin levels indicating the presence of metastatic disease
• * Must have negative thyroglobulin antibodies
• Must have progressive disease within the past year, defined by at least 1 of the following:
• * At least 20% increase in serum thyroglobulin levels
• * At least 20% increase in the sum of the longest diameter of measurable lesions
• * Appearance of at least 1 new lesion
• Failed or ineligible for standard therapy with iodine I 131 and/or surgery
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• At least 1 year
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 75,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• AST/ALT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia
• Gastrointestinal
• No prior symptomatic or complicated peptic ulcer disease by endoscopy within the past 6 months, defined by any of the following conditions:
• * Active gastric or duodenal ulcer
• * Gastric or duodenal perforation
• * Upper gastrointestinal bleeding
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• No prior allergic reaction to celecoxib or sulfonamides
• No prior urticaria, asthma, or allergic reaction to aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents
• No ongoing or active infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other uncontrolled concurrent illness that would preclude study participation
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy
• More than 1 month since prior systemic chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 3 months since prior external beam radiotherapy (unless an indicator lesion is outside the radiation field)
• More than 6 months since prior iodine I 131 therapy
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 1 month since prior surgery
• Other
• More than 2 weeks since prior conventional doses of celecoxib or rofecoxib for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or dysmenorrhea
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No concurrent chronic (more than 1 week of therapy) fluconazole therapy
• Concurrent oral or IV bisphosphonates for bony metastases are allowed
• Concurrent low-dose aspirin (no greater than 325 mg/day) for cardiovascular disease is allowed