Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed solid tumor malignancy

- Treatment with either docetaxel or gemcitabine hydrochloride in combination with an
investigational agent is reasonable

- Measurable or evaluable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status of 0-1

- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³

- Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL (red blood cell transfusion allowed)

- Bilirubin normal

- ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

- PT/INR or aPTT ≤ 1.1 times ULN

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 30 days after
completion of study therapy

- No evidence of any other significant medical disorder, including uncontrolled
infection or infection requiring a concurrent parenteral antibiotic, or laboratory
finding that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude study compliance

- No known HIV positivity

- No hepatitis B surface antigen positivity

- No hepatitis C positivity with abnormal liver function test

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- No prior radiotherapy to > 25% of bone marrow

- No prior high-dose chemotherapy (including conditioning for either myeloablative or
nonmyeloablative transplantation)

- No more than 3 prior chemotherapy regimens

- More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery

- More than 4 weeks since prior investigational or traditional anticancer therapy
(including radiotherapy) (6 weeks for nitrosoureas and mitomycin C)

- The following medications/treatments are not permitted during the trial:

- Any other licensed or investigational anticancer treatment

- Prophylactic hematopoietic growth factors

- Irradiation therapy (palliative or therapeutic) unless given in the absence of
tumor progression

- Concurrent systemic steroids allowed provided the patient is on a stable dose for ≥ 2
weeks prior to study treatment

- Concurrent androgen-deprivation therapy allowed