DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• One of the following diagnoses:

  • Histologically or cytologically confirmed solid tumor*

    • Unresectable disease

  • Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

    • Relapsed disease
    • Failed at least 1 prior therapy
    • Neoplastic cells are accessible through biopsy NOTE: *Only patients with biopsy-accessible superficial tumors or lymphoma are eligible once the maximum tolerated dose has been determined
• No known standard therapy that is potentially curative or definitely capable of extending life expectancy exists
• No CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver involvement)

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.25 times ULN OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

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

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective nonhormonal contraception
• No uncontrolled infection
• No seizure disorder
• No history of serious allergic reaction to eggs

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• No concurrent routine or prophylactic use of a colony-stimulating factor (e.g., filgrastim [G-CSF] or sargramostim [GM-CSF])

Chemotherapy:

• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas) and recovered from acute and reversible toxic effects
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• No concurrent birth control pills
• No concurrent steroids as anti-emetics

Radiotherapy:

• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy to more than 25% of the bone marrow
• No prior radiopharmaceuticals
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• No concurrent 3A4 enzyme inhibitors (e.g., verapamil, erythromycin, miconazole, or ketoconazole)
• No concurrent investigational ancillary therapy
• No concurrent enrollment in another study involving a pharmacologic agent (e.g., drugs, biologics, immunotherapy approaches, or gene therapy) for symptom control or therapeutic intent