Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM), defined by all of the
following:

- Leukoerythroblastic blood picture

- Fibrosis involving > 1/3 sectional area of bone marrow biopsy

- Splenomegaly (unless patient has undergone prior splenectomy)

- Philadelphia chromosome negative

- No myelodysplastic syndrome

- No systemic disorders associated with marrow fibrosis

- Red blood cell transfusion dependent, defined by 1 of the following:

- Patient has required ≥ 2 units of red blood cells every 4 weeks within the past
8 weeks

- Hemoglobin ≤ 8 g/dL on ≥ 3 occasions (≥ 2 weeks apart ) over the past 8 weeks

- No evidence of disease transformation to acute myelogenous leukemia, defined as > 20%
blasts in bone marrow and/or peripheral blood

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Performance status

- ECOG 0-3

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- Absolute neutrophil count > 1,000/mm^3

- Platelet count > 50,000/mm^3

Hepatic

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST or ALT ≤ 2 times ULN (unless due to extramedullary hematopoiesis in the liver)

Renal

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

- No New York Heart Association grade III-IV heart disease

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective barrier method contraception during and for 3
months after completion of study treatment

- No serious, uncontrolled medical condition

- No patients who are considered potentially unreliable or with a history of
noncompliance to medical regimens

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- More than 2 weeks since prior interferon alfa

Chemotherapy

- No concurrent chemotherapy except hydroxyurea to control elevated blood counts

Endocrine therapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior corticosteroids, danazol, or other androgens for MMM

Other

- More than 4 weeks since other prior treatment for MMM

- No other concurrent experimental drug therapy for MMM