Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian
carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, tumor types for which no
standard treatment exists, or tumor types that have failed standard therapy

- Paclitaxel and cisplatin combination therapy must be an appropriate option in
treating disease

- No potentially curable type of cancer (e.g., newly diagnosed testicular cancer)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

- At least 6 weeks

Hematopoietic:

- WBC greater than 4,000/mm^3

- Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin normal

- SGOT and SGPT normal

Renal:

- Creatinine normal

- Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

- No evidence of congestive heart failure

- No uncontrolled moderate to severe hypertension

- Includes patients with persistent elevated systolic blood pressures of greater than
170 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressures of greater than 100 mm Hg for more than 1
month while under medical treatment

Other:

- No active infection

- No perceived or actual clinical risk of cisplatin induced toxicity that exceeds the
clinical benefit of using cisplatin therapy

- No known history of severe hypersensitivity to polyoxyl 35 castor oil vehicle

- No severe medical problems unrelated to malignancy that would interfere with
compliance in this study

- Not pregnant

- Effective contraception required of all fertile patients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- No concurrent colony stimulating factors except for febrile neutropenia

- No concurrent aminoglycoside therapy except for febrile neutropenia or other life
threatening infections

- No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy:

- At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas or mitomycin

- At least 3 weeks since other prior chemotherapy

- No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

- Not specified

Radiotherapy:

- No prior radiotherapy to measurable disease

Surgery:

- At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery

Other:

- No other concurrent investigational agents