Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

   - Histologically confirmed myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)

      - Refractory anemia (RA)

      - RA with excess blasts (RAEB)

      - RAEB in transformation

      - RA with ringed sideroblasts

      - Non-proliferative chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (WBC less than 12,000/mm^3)

   - At least 1 of the following cytopenias:

      - Untransfused hemoglobin no greater than 10.0 g/dL and/or red cell transfusion
      dependent

      - Absolute neutrophil count no greater than 1,800/mm^3 (neutropenia)

      - Platelet count no greater than 100,000/mm^3 (thrombocytopenia)

   - No secondary MDS

   - No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

   - 18 and over

Performance status:

   - ECOG 0-2

   - Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

   - More than 4 months

Hematopoietic:

   - See Disease Characteristics

   - Platelet count at least 20,000/mm^3

   - No hemorrhagic illness within the past 3 weeks

   - No hemolysis

   - No iron deficiency

   - No active blood loss

Hepatic:

   - AST and ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

   - Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

   - INR less than 2.0

   - PTT less than 1.5 times ULN

Renal:

   - Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

   - No renal dysfunction requiring dialysis within the past 6 months

   - No nephrotic syndrome within the past 6 months

Cardiovascular:

   - No myocardial infraction within the past 6 months

   - No severe or unstable angina within the past 6 months

   - No severe peripheral vascular disease (ischemic rest pain, non-healing wound or ulcer,
   or tissue loss) within the past 6 months

   - No uncontrolled hypertension within the past 6 months

   - No transient ischemic attack within the past 6 months

   - No cerebrovascular accident within the past 6 months

   - No deep venous or arterial thrombosis

   - No coronary artery disease

   - No symptomatic congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association class II-IV heart
   disease)

   - No cardiac arrhythmia

   - No vascular illness within the past 3 weeks

Pulmonary:

   - No pulmonary embolism

Other:

   - Not pregnant or nursing

   - Negative pregnancy test

   - Fertile patients must use effective contraception

   - No other active malignancy except localized squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer

      - Prior cured malignancy allowed

   - No trauma within the past 3 weeks

   - No significant inflammatory disease within the past 3 weeks

   - No serious non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture

   - No hypersensitivity to Chinese hamster ovary cell products or other recombinant human
   or humanized antibodies

   - No other active severe disease

   - No infection

   - No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

   - HIV negative

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

   - No prior allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

   - At least 30 days since prior biologic response modifiers

   - At least 30 days since prior hematopoietic growth factors

   - At least 30 days since prior thalidomide

   - No concurrent thalidomide

   - No other concurrent biologic response modifiers

   - No concurrent hematopoietic growth factors (including epoetin alfa)

   - Concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) for febrile neutropenia allowed

   - Concurrent transfusions allowed

Chemotherapy:

   - At least 30 days since prior chemotherapy

   - No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

   - No concurrent corticosteroid therapy (more than 10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent
   steroid dose) except for pre-medication for transfusions

Radiotherapy:

   - At least 30 days since prior radiotherapy

   - No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

   - At least 3 weeks since prior surgery (including biopsy of visceral organ)

Other:

   - At least 10 days since prior anticoagulants

   - No concurrent cytotoxic agents

   - No other concurrent investigational agents