Imatinib Mesylate in Treating Patients With HIV-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) involving at least 1 of the following areas:
• •* Skin
• •* Lymph nodes
• •* Oral cavity
• •* Gastrointestinal tract\*
• •* Lungs\* NOTE: \*Must be asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic AND does not require systemic cytotoxic therapy
• •Serological documentation of HIV infection, as evidenced by positive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western Blot test, or other federally approved licensed HIV test
• •At least 5 measurable, non-irradiated, cutaneous indicator lesions
• •* Patients must have 3 lesions at least 5 x 5 mm that are accessible for 4 mm punch biopsy
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age
• •18 and over
• •Performance status
• •Karnofsky 60-100%
• •Life expectancy
• •At least 3 months
• •Hematopoietic
• •Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL
• •Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm\^3
• •Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic
• •AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• •Bilirubin normal
• •* Patients with elevated bilirubin secondary to indinavir or atazanavir allowed provided total bilirubin is \< 3.5 mg/dL AND direct bilirubin is normal
• •No acute or known chronic liver disease (e.g., chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis)
• •* Hepatitis C infection with minimal or no fibrosis on liver biopsy allowed
• •Renal
• •Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR
• •Creatinine clearance \> 60 mL/min
• •Cardiovascular
• •No New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease
• •No congestive heart failure
• •No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• •Other
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for 3 months after study participation
• •No concurrent active opportunistic infection
• •No other severe and/or life-threatening medical disease
• •No other malignancy within the past 5 years except clinically insignificant malignancy not requiring active intervention, basal cell skin cancer, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy
• •More than 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy for KS
• •More than 2 weeks since prior granulocyte colony-stimulating factor
• •No concurrent biologic agents for KS
• •Chemotherapy
• •More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy for KS (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• •No concurrent chemotherapy for KS, including systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy
• •Endocrine therapy
• •No concurrent systemic corticosteroid therapy except replacement doses
• •Radiotherapy
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy for KS
• •No concurrent radiotherapy for KS
• •Surgery
• •More than 2 weeks since prior major surgery
• •Other
• •No prior imatinib mesylate
• •More than 60 days since prior local therapy to any KS indicator lesion unless the lesion has progressed since treatment
• •More than 4 weeks since prior investigational therapy for KS
• •More than 4 weeks since other prior therapy for KS
• •More than 14 days since prior acute treatment for an infection or other serious medical illness
• •No concurrent warfarin
• •No concurrent grapefruit juice
• •No other concurrent therapy for KS
• •No other concurrent investigational drugs
• •Concurrent antiretroviral therapy required except for patients who have exhausted all available treatment options