Brostallicin in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Confirmed diagnosis of multiple myeloma based on prior or current demonstration of the following criteria\*: * Major criteria: * Plasmacytoma on tissue biopsy * Bone marrow plasmacytosis with at least 30% plasma cells * Monoclonal globulin spike on serum electrophoresis exceeding 3.5 g/dL for IgG peaks or 2.0 g/dL for IgA peaks; greater than 1,000 mg/24hr of kappa or gamma light chain excretion on urine electrophoresis in the absence of amyloidosis * Minor criteria: * Bone marrow plasmacytosis with 10% to 30% plasma cells * Monoclonal globulin spike present but less than levels in major criterion III above * Lytic bone lesions * Residual normal immunoglobulin M (IgM) no greater than 0.5 g/dL, IgA no greater than 0.1 g/dL, or IgG no greater than 0.6 g/dL NOTE: \*Diagnosis of multiple myeloma requires a minimum of 1 major and 1 minor criterion (I and a together is not sufficient; must be I and b, I and c, I and d; II and b, II and c, II and d; III and a, III and c, III and d) or 3 minor criteria that must include a and b (a, b, and c; a, b, and d) * Measurable disease defined by 1 of the following values: * Serum myeloma (M) protein (IgG or IgA) level greater than 1.0 g/dL * Urine M protein (light chain disease) at least 300 mg/24hr * Soft tissue plasmacytoma with bidimensional measurement at least 20 x 20 mm (10 x 10 mm if spiral CT scan is used) * Must have progressed during or within 12 months of discontinuing prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (e.g., vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone (VAD) or melphalan) OR not responded after 2 courses of prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy * No indolent or smoldering myeloma or localized plasmacytoma * No known brain or leptomeningeal disease unless such lesions were previously irradiated, are currently not being treated with corticosteroids, and are associated with no clinical symptoms PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-2 Life expectancy * At least 12 weeks Hematopoietic * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3 (at least 1,000/mm\^3 if neutropenia due to replacement of the normal bone marrow cells by myeloma cells) * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 (at least 50,000/mm\^3 if thrombocytopenia due to replacement of the normal bone marrow cells by myeloma cells) * Hemoglobin at least 8.0 g/dL (no transfusion allowed) * No hyperviscosity syndrome Hepatic * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) no greater than 2.5 times ULN * Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN Renal * Creatinine no greater than 3.0 times ULN * Calcium no greater than 12 mg/dL Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plan, laboratory tests, and sampling for study analysis * HIV negative * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No AIDS-related illness * No active infectious process or other severe concurrent disease that would make the patient inappropriate for study entry * No mental incapacity or psychiatric illness that would preclude giving informed consent or completing follow-up PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * See Chemotherapy * No concurrent anticancer biological response modifiers * No concurrent immunotherapy * No concurrent sargramostim (GM-CSF) Chemotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * More than 2 years since prior high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation or stem cell support * More than 4 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy * No other concurrent anticancer chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * See Disease Characteristics * No concurrent anticancer hormonal therapy * No concurrent chronic steroids * Acute pulse dosing required for treatment of a concurrent medical condition is allowed, provided treatment duration is no greater than 2 weeks * No concurrent corticosteroids (e.g., dexamethasone) Radiotherapy * More than 14 days since prior radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy to more than 25% of bone marrow * No plans for radiotherapy within the next 6 months * Concurrent palliative radiotherapy for skeletal pain allowed Surgery * More than 14 days since prior surgery * No plans for surgery within the next 6 months Other * Acute toxic effects of prior therapy (except for alopecia and neurotoxicity) must have resolved to grade 0, 1, or the patient's baseline * Treatment-related neurotoxicity must have resolved to the patient's baseline, not to exceed grade 2 * Chronic bisphosphonates for bone pain allowed only for maintenance doses * More than 2 weeks since prior nonmyelosuppressive antimyeloma therapy * More than 2 weeks since prior macrolide antibiotics * No other concurrent investigational agents * No concurrent macrolide antibiotics * No concurrent participation in another treatment clinical study