DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of 1 of the following:

  • Histologically confirmed malignant solid tumor (phase I)

    • Metastatic or unresectable disease
    • Disease for which standard curative measures or other therapy that may provide clinical benefit do not exist or are no longer effective

  • Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial or primary peritoneal cancer (phase II)

    • Radiological evidence of recurrence at a previous site of disease OR biopsy-confirmed disease if the site represents a new site of disease
    • Refractory to platinum-based therapy OR relapsed < 1 year after receiving a prior platinum-based regimen
• Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 lesion whose longest diameter can be accurately measured as ≥ 2.0 cm with conventional techniques or as ≥ 1.0 cm with spiral CT scan
• No known standard therapy that is potentially curative or definitely capable of extending life expectancy exists

• No known CNS metastases

  • Brain metastases that have been successfully treated and stable for ≥ 6 months are allowed provided there is no requirement for corticosteroids and there is no seizure activity

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
• ANC ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• ALT or AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN (ALT ≤ 3 times ULN or AST ≤ 5 times ULN in the presence of hepatic metastases)
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• INR ≤ 1.4 (unless receiving therapeutic doses of coumadin)
• PTT ≤ 36 seconds
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Willing to return to Mayo Clinic for follow up
• Willing to provide biologic specimens as required for translational research
• Able to swallow and absorb medication

• No concurrent uncontrolled illness including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  • Ongoing or active infection
  • Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  • Unstable angina pectoris
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Psychiatric illness or social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements
• No NYHA class III-IV heart disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No congestive heart failure requiring the use of ongoing maintenance therapy for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias
• Not immunocompromised (other than that related to the use of corticosteroids)
• No known HIV positivity
• No other active malignancy except for nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No known seizure disorder
• No comorbid systemic illness or other severe concurrent disease that, in the judgement of the investigator, would make the patient inappropriate for study entry or interfere significantly with the proper assessment of the safety and toxicity of study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 4 weeks since prior investigational therapy or ancillary therapy considered investigational (i.e., utilized for a non-FDA-approved indication and in the context of a research investigation)
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin C and nitrosoureas) and recovered
• More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy, biologic therapy, or radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy to > 25% of bone marrow
• No more than 2 prior therapeutic regimens for ovarian epithelial cancer or primary peritoneal cancer
• Concurrent hormonal therapy for prostate cancer allowed
• No concurrent specific treatment for a prior malignancy (other than hormonal therapy)
• No concurrent enrollment in any other study involving a pharmacologic agent (e.g., drugs, biologics, immunotherapy approaches, or gene therapy) whether for symptom control or therapeutic intent