AZD2171 in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria: * Histological confirmation of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) * Peripheral blood lymphocyte count \> 5,000/mm³ * Small to moderate peripheral blood lymphocytes with ≤ 55% prolymphocytes * Bone marrow aspirate with ≥ 30% lymphoid cells * Monoclonality of B lymphocytes by immunophenotyping, demonstrating all of the following: * B-cell markers with CD5 antigen in the absence of other pan-T-cell markers (CD3, CD2, etc.) * CD19 and/or CD20 * Expression of CD23 on the CLL cells OR dim B-cell expression of kappa or lambda light chains * Disease must be refractory to or progressive after treatment with at least 1 course containing a purine nucleoside analog (e.g., fludarabine, cladribine, or pentostatin) * Life expectancy \> 6 months * ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 OR Karnofsky PS 60-100% * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 50,000/mm³ * Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Patients with Gilbert's syndrome may have a bilirubin ≥ 1.5 times ULN * AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No history of allergies to compounds similar to AZD2171 * QTc prolongation \< 500 msec * No other significant ECG abnormality * No history of familial long QT syndrome * Proteinuria \< 1+ by dipstick OR protein \< 1 g/24 hr urine collection * No known HIV positivity * No New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV disease * NYHA class II disease controlled with treatment and monitoring allowed * No other uncontrolled illness including, but not limited to, the following: * Hypertension * Ongoing or active infection * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Unstable angina pectoris * Cardiac arrhythmia * Psychiatric illness or social situations that would limit compliance * See Disease Characteristics * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C), radiotherapy, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment, or major surgery and recovered * More than 30 days since prior investigational agents * No concurrent drugs or biologics with proarrhythmic potential * No other concurrent investigational agents * No other concurrent anticancer therapy