Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed advanced or metastatic malignant solid
tumor not curable by resection or other standard therapy

- No symptomatic brain metastases

- Brain metastases allowed provided controlled with surgical excision and/or
radiotherapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

- At least 3 months

Hematopoietic:

- WBC at least 3,000/mm3

- Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

- SGOT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

- Creatinine normal

- Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

- No New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure

Other:

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after study

- No history of allergic reactions to appropriate diuretics or antiemetics administered
in conjunction with protocol chemotherapy (e.g., 5-HT3 antagonists)

- No other concurrent uncontrolled illness that would preclude study therapy

- No medical, social, or psychological factors that would preclude study therapy

- No clinically significant hearing loss

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Not specified

Chemotherapy:

- At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin and nitrosoureas)
and recovered

- No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens

- No prior combination paclitaxel and carboplatin

Endocrine therapy:

- Not specified

Radiotherapy:

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

- No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

- See Disease Characteristics

- Recovered from prior surgery

Other:

- At least 30 days since other prior investigational drugs

- No other concurrent anticancer therapy

- No other concurrent investigational agents