Oxaliplatin and Irinotecan in Treating Young Patients With Refractory Solid Tumors or Lymphomas

Inclusion criteria

* Histologically confirmed refractory malignant solid tumor or lymphoma * Intrinsic brain stem tumors and optic pathway tumors do not require histologic verification * No known curative therapy or therapy proven to prolong survival with an acceptable quality of life exists * Measurable or evaluable disease * Evaluable disease is defined as a tumor that cannot be measured using a ruler or calipers, but can be assessed to determine disease progression or complete response, such as any of the following: * Positive lesions on metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) or bone scan * Metastatic bone marrow disease * Elevated tumor markers * Presence of a malignant pleural effusion * No leukemia * Performance status - Karnofsky 50-100% (for patients \> 10 years of age) * Performance status - Lansky 50-100% (for patients ≤ 10 years of age) * Not specified * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 (transfusion independent) * Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL (transfusion allowed) * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * ALT ≤ 5 times ULN * Albumin ≥ 2 g/dL * Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate ≥ 70 mL/min * Creatinine based on age as follows: * No greater than 0.8 mg/dL (for patients age 5 and under) * No greater than 1.0 mg/dL (for patients age 6 to 10) * No greater than 1.2 mg/dL (for patients age 11 to 15) * No greater than 1.5 mg/dL (for patients age 16 and over) * No arrhythmia on EKG * No evidence of dyspnea at rest * No exercise intolerance * Pulse oximetry \> 94% on room air and no evidence of pulmonary fibrosis by chest radiograph\* or CT scan * Not pregnant * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Weight ≥ 10 kg * Neurologic deficits relatively stable for ≥ 1 week before study entry (patients with CNS tumors only) * No electrolyte (e.g., sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate) abnormality ≥ grade 2 (electrolyte supplementation allowed) * No uncontrolled infection * No history of life-threatening allergy to camptothecin derivatives or platinum agents * No sensory or motor peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2 * No elevation of amylase or lipase ≥ grade 2 * Able to tolerate enteral medications (e.g., cefixime, cefpodoxime, or loperamide) * Recovered from all prior immunotherapy * At least 7 days since prior hematopoietic growth factors * At least 7 days since prior antineoplastic biologic therapy * Prior stem cell transplantation or rescue without total-body irradiation (TBI) allowed provided ≥ 3 months have elapsed and there is no evidence of active graft-versus-host disease * No concurrent immunotherapy * No concurrent biologic therapy * More than 3 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered * No prior oxaliplatin * No other concurrent chemotherapy * Concurrent steroids allowed provided dose has been stable for ≥ 7 days before study entry * See Biologic therapy * Recovered from all prior radiotherapy * At least 2 weeks since prior local palliative small port radiotherapy * At least 6 months since prior TBI * At least 6 months since prior craniospinal, whole spinal, or whole lung/abdominal radiotherapy * At least 6 months since prior radiotherapy to ≥ 50 % of the pelvis * At least 6 weeks since other prior substantial radiotherapy to the bone marrow * No concurrent radiotherapy * No other concurrent investigational drugs * No other concurrent anticancer therapy * No concurrent cephalosporin antibiotics * No concurrent use of any of the following: * Phenytoin * Carbamazepine * Oxcarbazepine * Barbiturates * Rifampin * Phenobarbital * Azole antifungal agents * Aprepitant * Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)