Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- One of the following diagnoses:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed solid tumor*

- Unresectable disease

- Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

- Relapsed disease

- Failed at least 1 prior therapy

- Neoplastic cells are accessible through biopsy NOTE: *Only patients with
biopsy-accessible superficial tumors or lymphoma are eligible once the
maximum tolerated dose has been determined

- No known standard therapy that is potentially curative or definitely capable of
extending life expectancy exists

- No CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

- At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

- Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN

- Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver involvement)

Renal:

- Creatinine no greater than 1.25 times ULN OR

- Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

- No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Other:

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective nonhormonal contraception

- No uncontrolled infection

- No seizure disorder

- No history of serious allergic reaction to eggs

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy

- No concurrent immunotherapy

- No concurrent routine or prophylactic use of a colony-stimulating factor (e.g.,
filgrastim [G-CSF] or sargramostim [GM-CSF])

Chemotherapy:

- More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas)
and recovered from acute and reversible toxic effects

- No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

- No concurrent birth control pills

- No concurrent steroids as anti-emetics

Radiotherapy:

- More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

- No prior radiotherapy to more than 25% of the bone marrow

- No prior radiopharmaceuticals

- No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

- Not specified

Other:

- No concurrent 3A4 enzyme inhibitors (e.g., verapamil, erythromycin, miconazole, or
ketoconazole)

- No concurrent investigational ancillary therapy

- No concurrent enrollment in another study involving a pharmacologic agent (e.g.,
drugs, biologics, immunotherapy approaches, or gene therapy) for symptom control or
therapeutic intent