DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed progressive advanced or metastatic cancer

  • Failed 1 or more prior standard therapies for disease OR
  • Unlikely to respond to any currently available therapies
• Measurable or evaluable disease

• No active CNS metastases

  • Previously treated CNS metastases allowed if no evidence of new CNS metastases and stable for at least 2 months

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
• No active bleeding or coagulation disorder (occult blood for gastrointestinal cancer allowed)

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• ALT/AST no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver metastases present)
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver metastases present)
• Albumin at least 3.0 g/dL
• PT/PTT no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

• No active heart disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past 3 months
• No symptomatic coronary artery disease, heart block, or uncontrolled congestive heart failure

Pulmonary:

• No moderate to severe compromise in pulmonary function

Other:

• No mental deficits and/or psychiatric history that would preclude study
• No active infection
• No pre-existing severe hearing impairment
• No pre-existing grade 2 or greater neuropathy
• No prior severe allergic reaction to study drugs
• No other life-threatening illness
• No chronic toxic effects from prior chemotherapy greater than grade I
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 18 months after study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Concurrent hematopoietic growth factors allowed except if used prophylactically during first course of study therapy

Chemotherapy:

• More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosourea or mitomycin) and recovered
• More than 6 months since prior combination cisplatin and paclitaxel
• Prior cisplatin or paclitaxel as single agents allowed
• Prior 3-AP allowed

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• More than 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• Concurrent radiotherapy to a single site of progressive disease allowed if site requires treatment within the first course of study therapy

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• More than 3 weeks since any therapy for malignancy and recovered
• No other concurrent investigational drugs without consent of sponsor