Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed systemic mastocytosis

- Objective evidence of disease, as defined by the following:

- Hemoglobin < 10 g/dL

- Recurrent mast cell mediator-release symptoms that impair the patient's
quality of life

- Symptomatic hepatosplenomegaly

- Ascites

- Symptomatic bone disease

- Profound constitutional symptoms (e.g., fatigue, asthenia, flushing,
hyperpyrexia, weight loss, myalgia, and arthralgia)

- Elevated serum tryptase level

- Mast cell leukemia allowed

- Mastocytosis associated with myeloproliferative disease (e.g., hypereosinophilic
syndrome or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia) allowed

- Patients with eosinophilia (i.e., absolute eosinophil count ≥ 1,000/mm^3) must be
evaluated for the presence or absence of FIP1L1-PDGFRA mutation; if the mutation is
absent, the patient is eligible; if the mutation is present, the patient is eligible
provided disease is refractory to imatinib mesylate

- Patients with indolent disease must have a serum tryptase level ≥ 50 ng/mL OR
episodes of anaphylaxis that occur with a frequency of > 1 per month

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

- At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

- See Disease Characteristics

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3 (> 25,000/mm^3 for patients with organomegaly)

- Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm^3(> 750/mm^3 for patients with organomegaly)

Hepatic

- AST and ALT ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (< 4 times ULN for patients with
hepatomegaly)

- Bilirubin normal

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 times ULN

Renal

- Creatinine ≤ 1.4 mg/dL OR

- Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

- No New York Heart Association class III-IV congestive heart failure

- No history of myocardial infarction within the past year

- No history of uncontrolled dysrhythmia

- No uncontrolled angina

- No ischemic heart disease within the past 12 months

- No congenital long QT syndrome

- No left bundle branch block

- No serious ventricular arrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular
fibrillation ≥ 3 beats in a row)

- QTc interval < 450 msec for males or 470 msec for females

- LVEF > 40% by MUGA

- MUGA or echocardiogram normal

- No prior history of cardiac toxicity after receiving anthracyclines (e.g.,
doxorubicin hydrochloride, daunorubicin hydrochloride, mitoxantrone hydrochloride,
bleomycin, or carmustine)

- No cardiac symptoms ≥ grade 2

- No other significant cardiac disease

Pulmonary

- No symptomatic pulmonary disease requiring medication including any of the following:

- Dyspnea on or off exertion

- Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea

- Requirement for oxygen

- Significant pulmonary disease (e.g., chronic obstructive/restrictive pulmonary
disease)

- No home oxygen meeting the Medicare requirement

- No compromised pulmonary status (i.e., DLCO ≤ 80%)

- No prior history of pulmonary toxicity after receiving anthracyclines (e.g.,
doxorubicin hydrochloride, daunorubicin hydrochloride, mitoxantrone hydrochloride,
bleomycin, or carmustine)

- No pulmonary symptoms ≥ grade 2

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 6 months after
completion of study treatment

- HIV negative

- No active uncontrolled infection

- No serious medical illness

- No other non-malignant systemic disease

- No history of serious allergic reaction to eggs

- No other malignancy within the past 2 years except dermatological cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- Not specified

Chemotherapy

- At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

- Steroids allowed provided tapering to the lowest level possible to treat
thrombocytopenia, diarrhea, or malabsorption symptoms of systemic mastocytosis

Radiotherapy

- At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

- No prior radiation that included the heart in the field (e.g., mantle) or chest

Surgery

- Not specified

Other

- At least 4 weeks since prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors

- No concurrent complimentary or alternative medications* including, but not limited
to, the following:

- Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)

- Milk thistle

- Kava kava

- Mistletoe extract

- No concurrent agents that cause QTc prolongation

- No concurrent antiarrhythmic therapy

- No other concurrent investigational therapy NOTE: *Unless approved by the
investigator