Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

- Histologically confirmed advanced, incurable cancer that is unresponsive to prior
chemotherapy regimens or for which no standard chemotherapy regimen exists

- History of brain metastases allowed if controlled by radiotherapy or surgery and
patient's neurological status is stable

- Concurrent corticosteroids allowed as long as required dose is stable or
decreasing

- Not eligible for a higher priority study

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

- Karnofsky performance status 60-100%

- Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks

- ANC ≥ 2,000/mm³

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³

- Serum creatinine ≤ 1.6 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

- SGOT < 3 times upper limit of normal

- Recovered from any recent severe infection

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

Exclusion criteria:

- Patients with any nonmalignant intercurrent illnesses (e.g., cardiovascular,
pulmonary, neurologic) that are either poorly controlled with currently available
treatment, or are of such severity that the investigators deem it unwise to enter the
patient onto this study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Inclusion criteria:

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy and recovered

- Recovered from prior major surgery

Exclusion criteria:

- Concurrent treatment for severe infection