Melphalan and Bortezomib Prior to Autologous Stem Cell Transplant in Treating Patients With Multiple Myeloma

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with symptomatic active multiple myeloma requiring treatment, including those whose prior smoldering myeloma progressed to symptomatic disease requiring chemotherapy; both newly diagnosed and previously treated patients are eligible for the study * Presence of quantifiable M-component of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, IgD, or IgE and/or urinary kappa or lambda light chain or Bence Jones protein, in order to evaluate response; non-secretory patients are eligible provided the patient has \> 20% plasmacytosis or multiple (\> 3) focal plasmacytomas on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or diffuse hyperintense signal on short tau inversion recovery (STIR) weighted images * Performance status of 0-2 based on Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) criteria; patients with a poor performance status (3-4) are also eligible after having improved their performance to 0-2 * No significant co-morbid medical conditions; no uncontrolled life threatening infection * Patient evaluation should be done within 35 days prior to registration; signed informed consent should be obtained from all patients in accordance with institutional and federal guidelines Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with a history of recent (\< 6 months) myocardial infarction, unstable angina, difficult to control congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, difficult to control significant cardiac arrhythmias, or arrhythmia associated with prolonged QT interval; left ventricular ejection fraction by echocardiogram or multi gated acquisition scan (MUGA) \< 45% assessed within 35 days prior to study registration * Patients with a history of moderate to severe chronic obstructive and/or restrictive pulmonary disease, with a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) or forced vital capacity (FVC) \< 50% of the predicted values; diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) \< 50%; partial pressure of oxygen (P02) \< 70 mmHg * Patients with a prior history of malignancy except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer, or other cancer for which the patient has been disease free for at least three years * Pregnant or nursing women; women of child-bearing potential must have a negative pregnancy documented within one week of registration; women/men of reproductive potential may not participate unless they have agreed to use two forms of effective contraceptive method * Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients * Transaminases \> 2 x normal values or bilirubin \> 2 x normal values; prior history of chronic liver disease * Patients with renal failure on dialysis * Active uncontrolled infection * History of significant psychiatric illness