RATIONALE: Bortezomib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes
needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin and dexamethasone,
work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by
stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) together
with bortezomib may kill more cancer cells.
PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving bortezomib together with doxorubicin
and dexamethasone works in treating patients with multiple myeloma that has relapsed or not
responded to treatment.
PATIENT POPULATION: Patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma requiring therapy
will be invited to participate in this study. Eligible patients will be >18 years old and
able to give fully informed consent. Patients must have a Performance Score (PS) of 0-3
(ECOG), measurable serum and/or urine paraprotein, or serum free light chain, bilirubin value
of less than one and a half times the upper limit of normal with ALT/AST values less than two
and a half times the upper limit of normal. Patients with non-secretory multiple myeloma are
excluded from this study.