Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed advanced solid tumor that has failed standard therapy or for
which no standard therapy exists

- Locally advanced, unresectable, primary or recurrent disease OR

- Metastatic disease

- Previously untreated disease allowed provided this regimen represents reasonable
first-line therapy

- No leukemia or lymphoma

- No primary CNS malignancy or CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

- Not specified

Hematopoietic:

- Absolute granulocyte count at least 2,000/mm^3

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

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin no greater than 1.6 mg/dL

- AST/ALT no greater than 4 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

- Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL

Other:

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- HIV negative

- No other serious concurrent illness that would preclude study

- No active infection requiring IV antibiotics

- No known hypersensitivity to irinotecan

- No marked intolerance to fluorouracil

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy and recovered

Chemotherapy:

- More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (at least 6 weeks for nitrosoureas or
mitomycin) and recovered

- Prior short-infusion irinotecan allowed

- Prior fluorouracil allowed

Endocrine therapy:

- Not specified

Radiotherapy:

- At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

- At least 8 weeks since prior strontium chloride Sr 89

Surgery:

- Recovered from prior surgery

Other:

- No concurrent cimetidine