DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed malignant solid tumor

  • Considered incurable
  • Locally advanced or metastatic disease

• Likely to be responsive to taxane-based therapy

  • Patients who are refractory to prior paclitaxel are ineligible

• No symptomatic or untreated brain metastasis or carcinomatous meningitis

  • No patients who are unable to remain free of corticosteroid therapy for > 4 weeks due to CNS disease
• No previously untreated locally advanced breast cancer
• No hematologic malignancy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

• Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic

• Bilirubin normal
• ALT and AST ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal

• Creatinine normal OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• LVEF ≥ 40%
• No clinical signs or symptoms of heart failure
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 2 months after study participation
• No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to paclitaxel (e.g., docetaxel, Cremophor^® EL [CrEL], polysorbate 80 [Tween 80], or CrEL-containing medications [e.g., cyclosporine])
• No history of seizure disorder requiring anticonvulsant therapy
• No active serious infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other uncontrolled illness

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No concurrent immunotherapy
• No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) during courses 1 and 2

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 2 weeks since prior hormonal therapy
• Concurrent luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists for prostate cancer allowed

Radiotherapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• More than 2 weeks since prior drugs, herbal preparations, or dietary supplements known to influence CYP3A4 (e.g., phenytoin, rifampin, Hypericum perforatum [St. John's wort], garlic supplements, or grapefruit juice) and/or CYP2C8
• No concurrent substances known or likely to interfere with the pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel (e.g., verapamil or cyclosporine)
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy