CC-5013 With or Without Dexamethasone in Treating Patients With Primary Systemic Amyloidosis

Inclusion Criteria: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed primary systemic (AL) amyloidosis * Tissue amyloid deposits or positive fat aspirate * Meets 1 of the following criteria for AL type disease: * Serum or urine monoclonal protein by immunofixation electrophoresis * Plasmacytosis of bone marrow by monoclonal staining for kappa- or lambda-light chain isotype PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * SWOG 0-2 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * White blood count\> 3,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin \> 8 g/dL * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,000/mm\^3 Hepatic * Bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 2 times ULN PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * Prior thalidomide for AL amyloidosis allowed Chemotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * Prior steroids for AL amyloidosis allowed Radiotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy Surgery * Prior surgery allowed Other * Recovered from all prior therapy Exclusion Criteria: * No secondary or familial amyloidosis * No multiple myeloma, defined as ≥ 30% plasma cells in bone marrow biopsy specimen OR lytic bone lesions * No prior CC-5013 Renal * No dialysis Cardiovascular * No symptomatic cardiac arrhythmia * No oxygen-dependent restrictive cardiomyopathy Other * No untreated or uncon…