DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, including mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome

  • Stage IB-IV disease
• Relapsed or refractory disease OR intolerant to ≥ 1 prior systemic therapy
• Measurable disease by radiological imaging or clinical finding
• No history of myelodysplastic syndromes
• No evidence of CNS disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• Over 18

Performance status

• Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• WBC > 2,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count > 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count > 75,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin > 8.0 g/dL

Hepatic

• Bilirubin < 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT < 3 times ULN

Renal

• Creatinine < 1.5 times ULN
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• No hypersensitivity to bortezomib, boron, or mannitol
• No serious medical condition or psychiatric illness that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

• More than 3 months since prior high-dose chemotherapy
• No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• No concurrent steroid dose > 10 mg/day of prednisone or its equivalent

Radiotherapy

• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• No concurrent surgery for the malignancy

Other

• More than 30 days since prior and no other concurrent investigational drugs