Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed locally advanced or metastatic solid tumor

- Refractory to standard therapy or for which conventional therapy is not reliably
effective

Exclusion criteria:

- Patients with documented CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

- ECOG performance status of 0, 1, or 2

- Must have a life expectancy of ≥ 12 weeks

- Granulocytes (AGC) ≥ 1.5 x 10^9/L

- Platelets ≥ 100 x 10^9/L

- Bilirubin ≤ upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 x ULN (< 5 x ULN if liver metastases are present)

- Serum creatinine ≤ 1.2 x ULN OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

- QTc ≤ 450 msec

- LVEF ≥ 50% by ECHO or MUGA

- Troponin I or T ≤ ULN

- Must be within 1½ hour's driving distance

Exclusion criteria:

- Pathologic cardiac arrhythmia requiring active treatment

- Patients with a history of arrhythmia must be > 12 months since last treatment
with no recurrence of arrhythmia in the interval

- Inability to take oral medication

- Patients must be able to swallow SB939 capsules and have no gastrointestinal
abnormalities (e.g., bowel obstruction or previous gastric resection) which
would lead to inadequate absorption of SB939

- Pregnant or lactating women

- Urine or serum B-HCG must be negative

- Women or men of child-bearing potential unless using effective contraception

- Presence of any clinically significant co-morbidities (i.e., pulmonary disease,
active CNS disease, or active infection)

- Presence of any other significant CNS disorder that would hamper the patient's
compliance

- Presence of any significant psychiatric disorder that would hamper the patient's
compliance

- Other acute or chronic medical condition, psychiatric condition, or laboratory
abnormality that may increase the risks associated with study participation/study
drug administration or may interfere with the interpretation of study results

- Pre-existing peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2

- Known HIV or hepatitis B or C infection

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Inclusion criteria:

- Previous anticancer treatment must be discontinued at least 28 days prior to the
first dose of study treatment (42 days [6 weeks] for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C)

- At least 28 days since prior radiation therapy restricted to ≤ 30% of the bone marrow
and recovered from toxic effects

- Exceptions may be made for low-dose nonmyelosuppressive radiotherapy

- Must be ≥ 14 days since any major surgery

- Pre-existing bisphosphonate or luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analog
therapy (for men with hormone refractory prostate cancer) may be continued during
study participation

Exclusion criteria:

- Previous treatment with a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor

- Treatment with another investigational therapy within 28 days prior to study entry

- Other concurrent anticancer treatment or investigational therapy

- Concurrent agents with a known risk of Torsade de Pointes

- Concurrent G-CSF, GM-CSF, or other hematopoietic growth factors may not be used as a
substitute for a scheduled dose reduction (may be used in the management of acute
toxicity)