DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed metastatic or unresectable solid tumor for which no standard curative therapy exists
• No lymphoma
• No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2 OR
• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic

• WBC at least 3,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• No history of bleeding diathesis

Hepatic

• Bilirubin normal
• AST and ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal

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

Cardiovascular

• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception before, during, and for 3 months after study
• No history of allergic reactions to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to study drugs
• No pre-existing grade 2 or greater neuropathy
• No ongoing or active infection
• No other uncontrolled illness that would preclude study participation
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No HIV-positive patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No concurrent prophylactic colony-stimulating factors (e.g., filgrastim [G-CSF] or sargramostim [GM-CSF]) during course 1 of study

Chemotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• No other concurrent chemotherapy for the malignancy

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy for the malignancy

Surgery

• No concurrent surgery for the malignancy

Other

• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapies (commercial or investigational)