Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Solid Tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Phase I: Histologically proven advanced, primary, or malignant solid tumors that are refractory to standard therapy or for which no curative therapy exists Androgen-independent prostate cancer Head and neck cancers Breast cancer Non-small cell lung cancer Colorectal cancer Ovarian cancer Esophageal cancer Bladder cancer Kidney cancer Other solid tumors Metastatic disease should not require palliative treatment within 4 weeks of enrollment Phase II: Histologically proven androgen-independent prostate cancer Serum testosterone less than 30 ng/mL Failed at least one prior chemotherapy regimen Progressive Minimum of 3 rising PSA values from baseline obtained at least 1 week apart OR Two rising PSA values more than one month apart AND At least 25% increase over range of values AND PSA at least 4 ng/mL No active CNS or epidural tumor Hormone receptor status: Not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Sex: Not specified Menopausal status: Not specified Performance status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy: At least 6 months Hematopoietic: WBC greater than 3,500/mm3 Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL SGOT less than 3 times the upper limit of normal Prothrombin time less than 14 seconds Renal: Creatinine less than 2.0 mg/dL OR Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min Cardiovascular: No New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease Pulmonary: No severe debilitating pulmonary disease Other: Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception No active infection No other severe medical problems PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: No concurrent immunotherapy Chemotherapy: At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered Endocrine therapy: Concurrent medical therapy (i.e., gonadotropin releasing hormone analogs or diethylstilbestrol) to maintain castrate levels of serum testosterone allowed No other concurrent hormonal therapy Radiotherapy: At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered Concurrent radiotherapy to localized sites of disease not being evaluated in study allowed Surgery: Not specified Other: At least 4 weeks since prior investigational anticancer therapy and recovered No concurrent intravenous antibiotics