Daptomycin in Treating Neutropenia and Fever in Patients With Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of cancer * Diagnosis of neutropenic fever * Temperature \> 38.3°C once OR ≥ 38°C twice within 12 hours * Absolute neutrophil count \< 500/mm\^³ and ≥ 1 of the following: * Mucositis * Concurrent skin or soft tissue infection * Indwelling catheter and/or suspected catheter infection * Recent quinolone prophylaxis * Positive blood cultures for gram-positive cocci before final identification or other documented gram-positive pathogen * Colonization with β-lactam resistant gram-positive organisms (commonly the nares or the skin) * Hypotension, tachycardia, narrowed pulse pressures, tachypnea, or other signs of cardiovascular compromise * Expected duration of neutropenia ≥ 3 days * No known infection with daptomycin-resistant organism or gram-negative organism and not yet meeting criteria for the addition of gram-positive antimicrobial therapy * No suspected meningitis or osteomyelitis * No documented or suspected gram-positive pneumonia * No suspected or proven endocarditis PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2 * Life expectancy ≥ 2 weeks * Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective double-method contraception * No known sensitivity to daptomycin or product excipients * No history of or concurrent rhabdomyolysis * No HIV positivity * No psychiatric disorders that would pre…