Bortezomib and Rituximab in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) including the following subtypes:
• B-cell small lymphocytic lymphoma
• Marginal zone lymphoma (extranodal, nodal, or splenic)
• Grade 1-3 follicular lymphoma
• Mantle cell lymphoma
• Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia
• Bidimensionally measurable disease by CT scan with ≥ 1 lesion measuring > 1.5 cm in a single dimension
• Relapsed or refractory disease after prior antineoplastic therapy, meeting 1 of the following criteria:
• No response to prior treatment
• Relapsed disease after prior therapy
• Confirmed CD20-positive disease by immunohistochemistry on biopsy specimen
• Prior transformation allowed provided there is no evidence of aggressive histology on recent biopsy
• No chronic lymphocytic lymphoma with absolute lymphocyte count > 5,000/mm³
• No CNS involvement

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3 (≥ 1,000/mm³ if due to extensive bone marrow involvement with NHL or splenomegaly)
• Absolute lymphocyte count ≤ 5,000/mm³ (except mantle cell lymphoma with a leukemic phase)
• Platelet count ≥ 50,000/mm^3
• Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (4 times ULN if liver involvement with NHL)
• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile male and female patients must use effective contraception during study
• No serious nonmalignant disease
• No active infection
• No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2 within past 14 days
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure
• No uncontrolled angina pectoris
• No severe uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias
• No EKG evidence of acute ischemia or active conduction system abnormalities
• Any EKG abnormality must be documented as not medically relevant
• No hypersensitivity to bortezomib, boron, or mannitol
• No known anaphylaxis or immunoglobulin E-mediated hypersensitivity to murine proteins or any component of rituximab (including polysorbate 80 and sodium citrate dehydrate)
• No known infection or exposure to HIV
• No serious psychiatric or medical illness that would preclude study participation
• No active hepatitis B infection
• No other primary malignancy requiring active treatment
• More than 4 weeks since prior significant traumatic injury

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• At least 3 weeks since prior and no concurrent radiotherapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery or open biopsy
• Other diagnostic surgery allowed
• More than 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas)
• At least 3 months since prior unconjugated monoclonal antibody therapy
• At least 10 weeks since prior radioimmunoconjugates or toxin immunoconjugates (e.g., iodine I 131 tositumomab [Bexxar] or ibritumomab tiuxetan [Zevalin])
• More than 2 weeks since prior investigational agent
• No prior bortezomib
• No concurrent systemic corticosteroid at greater than the equivalent dose of 20 mg/day of prednisone, unless for treatment of allergic reactions to CT scan dye
• No concurrent major surgery
• No other immunosuppressive agents, unless for treatment of allergic reactions to CT scan dye
• No other concurrent antilymphoma agents
• No other concurrent investigational agent
• Concurrent participation in another nontreatment study allowed if it does not interfere with participation in this study