Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed progressive advanced or metastatic cancer

- Failed 1 or more prior standard therapies for disease OR

- Unlikely to respond to any currently available therapies

- Measurable or evaluable disease

- No active CNS metastases

- Previously treated CNS metastases allowed if no evidence of new CNS metastases
and stable for at least 2 months

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

- More than 3 months

Hematopoietic:

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

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

- Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL (transfusion allowed)

- No active bleeding or coagulation disorder (occult blood for gastrointestinal cancer
allowed)

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

- ALT/AST no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver
metastases present)

- Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver metastases
present)

- Albumin at least 3.0 g/dL

- PT/PTT no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Renal:

- Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

- No active heart disease

- No myocardial infarction within the past 3 months

- No symptomatic coronary artery disease, heart block, or uncontrolled congestive heart
failure

Pulmonary:

- No moderate to severe compromise in pulmonary function

Other:

- No mental deficits and/or psychiatric history that would preclude study

- No active infection

- No pre-existing severe hearing impairment

- No pre-existing grade 2 or greater neuropathy

- No prior severe allergic reaction to study drugs

- No other life-threatening illness

- No chronic toxic effects from prior chemotherapy greater than grade I

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 18 months after
study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Concurrent hematopoietic growth factors allowed except if used prophylactically
during first course of study therapy

Chemotherapy:

- More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosourea or mitomycin) and
recovered

- More than 6 months since prior combination cisplatin and paclitaxel

- Prior cisplatin or paclitaxel as single agents allowed

- Prior 3-AP allowed

Endocrine therapy:

- Not specified

Radiotherapy:

- More than 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

- Concurrent radiotherapy to a single site of progressive disease allowed if site
requires treatment within the first course of study therapy

Surgery:

- Not specified

Other:

- More than 3 weeks since any therapy for malignancy and recovered

- No other concurrent investigational drugs without consent of sponsor