DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed advanced or metastatic solid tumor that is not amenable to standard therapy
• No brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 4,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 150,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin normal
• SGOT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

• Creatinine normal
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

• No coronary artery disease
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after study
• Must have central indwelling venous catheter
• No peripheral neuropathy greater than grade 1
• No prior allergic reaction to diuretics or antiemetics (e.g., 5-HT3 antagonists) to be administered during study
• No clinically significant hearing loss
• No uncontrolled concurrent illness that would preclude study therapy
• No medical, social, or psychological factor that would preclude study therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (at least 6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas) and recovered
• Prior cumulative dose of cisplatin no greater than 250 mg/m^2

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No prior radiotherapy to the mediastinum
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Recovered from prior surgery

Other:

• At least 30 days since prior investigational drugs
• No other concurrent investigational drugs
• No other concurrent anti-cancer agents