Thalidomide in Treating Patients With Thyroid Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed follicular, papillary, insular, or medullary thyroid carcinoma * Must meet criteria for 1 of the following: * Unresectable, distantly metastatic tumor that does not concentrate radioactive iodine * Follicular or papillary thyroid carcinoma with a large distant tumor burden that has not sufficiently responded to cumulative iodine I 131 doses exceeding 800 mCi * Radiographic evidence of tumor progression, meeting 1 of the following criteria: * Evidence gathered over a period of at least 1 year with at least 3 separate x-ray studies, defining tumor volume * Similar radiographic evidence over a shorter period of time, delineating more than 30% increase in tumor volume PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Performance status: * Karnofsky 70-100% Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * Absolute neutrophil count at least 750/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 10.5 g/dL Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Renal: * Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN * BUN no greater than 1.5 times ULN Other: * No active infection not controlled with medications * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective double contraception (1 hormonal method plus 1 barrier method OR 2 simultaneous barrier methods) for female patients or barrier contraception for male patients for more than 4 weeks prior to, during, and for at least 4 weeks a…