Tipifarnib in Treating Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must have histologically MDS (including French-American-British \[FAB\] types refractory anemia \[RA\], refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts \[RARS\], refractory anemia with excess blasts \[RAEB\], refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation \[RAEBT\], or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia \[CMMoL\]); for the purpose of the study, all patients will be classified by World Health Organization (WHO) criteria * By these criteria, FAB RA are split into: * Pure dyserythropoietic refractory anemia (PRA) * Refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia (RCMD) * FAB RARS is split into: * Pure sideroblastic anemia (PSA) * Refractory sideroblastic cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia (RSCMD) * FAB RAEB is split into: * RAEB I (\< 10% BM blasts) * RAEB II (10-20% BM blasts) * Patients with CMMoL, and RAEBT by FAB classification will be included in the protocol * Prognosis will be assessed by International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) criteria * =\< 2 prior therapies * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 2 * Life expectancy of greater than 12 weeks * Bilirubin =\< 1.5mg % * Creatinine =\< 1.5mg % * Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who have had chemotherapy or radiotherapy within 4 weeks (3 months for UCN01) prior to entering the study or those who have not recovered from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier * Patients may not be receiving any other investigational agents * History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to R115777 (such as imidazoles) * Patients eligible for bone marrow transplant (=\< 60 years old), with a compatible sibling, no contraindications for transplant * Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements * Pregnant women are excluded from this study; breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with R115777. * Growth factors other than filgrastim (G-CSF) are excluded; patients should be off excluded growth factors for 2 weeks