EMD 121974 in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

Inclusion criteria

* Histologically confirmed solid tumor that is refractory to standard therapy or for which no standard therapy exists * Tumors must be amenable to minimally-invasive biopsy (i.e., tumors must be superficial enough to be sampled by punch biopsy or core biopsy procedure without radiologic guidance)\* * No uncontrolled brain metastases, including symptomatic lesions or lesions requiring glucocorticoids and/or anticonvulsants to suppress symptoms * Negative brain scan required if there are signs and symptoms suggestive of brain metastasis * Performance status - ECOG 0-2 * Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100% * At least 12 weeks * WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL * Bilirubin normal * AST and ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal * Creatinine normal * Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No ongoing or active infection * No other concurrent serious systemic disorders (e.g., significant CNS illness) that would preclude study * No concurrent psychiatric illness or social situations that would preclude study * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No other concurrent anticancer immunotherapy * Concurrent hematologic growth factors for cytopenias allowed * At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas, carmustine, or mitomycin) and recovered * See Disease Characteristics * No concurrent anticancer hormonal therapy * Concurrent oral contraceptives or postmenopausal hormone replacement allowed * Recovered from prior radiotherapy * At least 2 weeks since prior palliative radiotherapy to bone or brain metastases * At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer radiotherapy * No concurrent anticancer radiotherapy * Not specified * At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer therapy and recovered * At least 4 weeks since prior investigational agents * Any number of prior therapies allowed * No other concurrent anticancer investigational or commercial agents * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients