7-Hydroxystaurosporine and Irinotecan Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Unresectable Solid Tumors or Triple Negative Breast Cancer (Currently Accruing Only Triple-negative Breast Cancer Patients Since 6/8/2007)

Inclusion Criteria: * Part I (closed to accrual as of 6/8/2007) * Histologically confirmed solid tumor that is metastatic or unresectable for which standard curative measures do not exist or are no longer effective, including the following: * Gastrointestinal tract cancer * Lung cancer * Breast cancer * Ovarian cancer * Endometrial cancer * Cervical cancer * Prostate cancer * Head and neck cancer * Patients with or without measurable or evaluable disease allowed * Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion \> 20 mm by conventional techniques or ≥ 10 mm with spiral CT scan * Tumor markers allowed for evaluable disease * Positive bone scan, osteoblastic metastases, and pleural or peritoneal effusions are not considered measurable or evaluable disease * No known brain metastases * Part II * Histologically confirmed (either primary or the recurrent site) locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer not amendable to surgery * Measurable disease * For skin lesions, documentation by color photography and estimation of lesion size with a ruler are required * Must have undergone prior therapy with an anthracycline and a taxane either in the adjuvant or metastatic setting * CNS metastasis allowed provided stable disease (i.e., no evidence of local progression) ≥ 3 months after local therapy * Hormone receptor status: * Estrogen receptor negative * Progesterone receptor negative * HER-2 not amplified by fluorescence in situ hybridization * Performance status - ECOG 0-2 * Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100% * More than 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 ≥ 10 g/dL * Bilirubin normal * AST/ALT no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * No Gilbert's disease * No chronic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia * Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN * Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min * No symptomatic cardiac dysfunction * No symptomatic pulmonary dysfunction * Oxygen saturation at least 90% by pulse oximetry on room air at rest and after walking 6 minutes * No insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus * No other uncontrolled concurrent illness * No active or ongoing infection * No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study entry * No prior allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to UCN-01 or irinotecan * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No concurrent granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\]) during the first course of study * See Disease Characteristics (Part II) * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered * Prior irinotecan allowed * Less than 4 prior chemotherapy regimens in the adjuvant and/or metastatic setting (Part II) * More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered * Concurrent warfarin allowed * Concurrent subcutaneous heparin allowed * No other concurrent investigational agents * No concurrent anticonvulsants (e.g., carbamazepine, phenobarbital, or phenytoin) * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients