High-Dose Combination Chemotherapy Plus Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation in Treating Patients With Advanced Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed advanced carcinomas of the following types: * Breast carcinoma that is ineligible for or patient has refused participation in a higher priority protocol in the following categories: * Stage II disease with at least 10 involved lymph nodes and no evidence of disease (NED) following surgery * Stage III disease rendered surgically NED with or without radiotherapy * Stage IV disease following partial response (PR) or complete response (CR) to surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy * Prior high dose chemotherapy allowed at discretion of investigator * No chemoresistant disease rendered surgically NED * Locoregionally recurrent disease within 2 years of breast conservation with or without chemotherapy * Stage III/IV ovarian cancer * PR/CR following debulking surgery and/or chemotherapy * Ineligible for or refused participation in higher priority protocols * Primary soft tissue sarcoma with high-grade disease greater than 10 cm or that is metastatic * Rendered surgically NED or achieved PR/CR on any chemotherapeutic or immunotherapeutic regimen * Ineligible for or refused participation in higher priority protocols * Malignant melanoma in the following categories: * Ulcerative primary tumor with any number of completely resected metastatic lymph nodes * Stage II disease with more than 4 involved nodes rendered NED * Stage III disease rendered surgically NED or achieved PR/CR on any chemotherapeutic or immunotherapeutic regimen * Osteosarcoma that is ineligible for or refused participation in higher priority protocols * Resected primary with less than 50% tumor necrosis on pathologic review * Metastatic disease rendered surgically NED or PR/CR on any chemotherapeutic, radiotherapeutic, or immunotherapeutic regimen * The following diseases rendered surgically NED or that achieved PR/CR on any chemotherapeutic, radiotherapeutic, or immunotherapeutic regimen also eligible: * Small cell bone carcinoma * Metastatic Ewing's sarcoma * Metastatic gastrointestinal malignancy * Recurrent Wilms' tumor * No CNS metastases * No current histologically confirmed bone marrow metastases * Prior bone metastases with resolution at time of entry permitted PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * Physiologic 18 to 55 Performance status: * Karnofsky 80%-100% Hematopoietic: * Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm3 * Platelet count greater than 120,000/mm3 * Hemoglobin greater than 10 g/dL Hepatic: * Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL * AST/ALT less than 3 times normal Renal: * Creatinine less than 1.4 mg/dL * Creatinine clearance at least 70 mL/min * No history of hemorrhagic cystitis Cardiovascular: * Ejection fraction at least 55% by MUGA * No significant cardiac disease Pulmonary: * FEV1 greater than 2 L * pO2 (room air) greater than 70 mm Hg * pCO2 (room air) less than 42 mm Hg * DLCO greater than 60% of predicted Other: * No potentially disabling psychosocial history * No organic or functional CNS dysfunction or other medical problem that would present party at undue risk * HIV negative * Hepatitis B surface antigen negative * No hearing loss greater than 40 decibels * No contraindication to the following procedures: * Collection by apheresis of up to 16 x 10 to the 8th mononuclear cells mobilized by G-CSF * Collection of autologous bone marrow, if needed * No second malignancy except: * Nonmelanomatous skin cancer * Carcinoma in situ of the cervix * Not pregnant or nursing * Adequate contraception required of fertile patients PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy Chemotherapy: * See Disease Characteristics * No more than 3 prior chemotherapy regimens (excluding adjuvant therapy) * No more than 200 mg per square meter of prior cisplatin * No more than 800 mg per square meter of prior carboplatin * No prior exposure to greater than 1,000 mg per square meter of "24-hour paclitaxel equivalents" (using a 1:1.3 ratio between paclitaxel doses given by 24-hour infusion and by 3-hour infusion) * At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * Not specified Radiotherapy: * No prior radiotherapy to more than 20% of bone marrow * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics