DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed malignancy not amenable to curative surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy

• Tumor types may include any of the following:

  • Any solid tumor including, but not limited to, head and neck, breast, lung, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, melanoma, and sarcoma

  • Primary CNS neoplasms if the following are true:

    • Received primary radiotherapy
    • No concurrent corticosteroids or has been on a stable corticosteroid dose for at least 30 days
    • No concurrent enzyme-inducible anti-epileptic medications (i.e., carbamazepine or phenytoin)
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• No refractory or relapsed acute or chronic leukemia
• Measurable or evaluable disease
• No life-prolonging therapy available

• Hormone receptor status:

  • Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Sex

• Male or female

Menopausal status

• Not specified

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• At least 4 months

Hematopoietic

• WBC at least 4,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL

Hepatic

• Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and/or ALT no greater than 2.5 times ULN if alkaline phosphatase less than ULN OR
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 4 times ULN if AST/ALT less than ULN

Renal

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL 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 2 effective methods of contraception 4 weeks before, during, and 4 weeks after study
• Willing and able to comply with FDA-mandated STEPS program
• No peripheral neuropathy grade 2 or greater
• No prior severe hypersensitivity reaction to docetaxel or other drugs formulated with polysorbate 80

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• No more than 2 prior courses of mitomycin

Endocrine therapy

• See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior large-field radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• At least 3 weeks since other prior anticancer therapy and recovered