ABT-751 in Treating Young Patients With Refractory Solid Tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed solid tumor\*, including, but not limited to, the following: * Rhabdomyosarcoma * Other soft tissue sarcomas * Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors * Osteosarcoma * Neuroblastoma * Wilms' tumor * Hepatic tumors * Germ cell tumors * Primary brain tumors * Brain stem or optic gliomas (histological confirmation may be waived if a biopsy has not been performed) NOTE: \*Closed to accrual for all diagnoses except neuroblastoma as of 4/16/05 * Relapsed after or failed to respond to frontline standard therapy and no other standard treatment options (e.g., surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or any combination of these modalities) exist * Measurable or evaluable disease\* NOTE: \*Not required for patients with neuroblastoma * No CNS tumor with motor or sensory deficits that would obscure the study assessment of sensory neuropathy PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and under Performance status: * Lansky 60-100% (age 10 and under) * Karnofsky 60-100% (age 11 to 18) Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * ALT and AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN (5 times ULN for patients treated after the maximum tolerated dose is determined) * No clinically significant hepatic dysfunction Renal: * Creatinine normal for age OR * Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min * No clinically significant renal dysfunction Cardiovascular: * LVEF normal by echocardiogram Other: * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No allergy to sulfa-containing medications * No clinically significant unrelated systemic illness (e.g., other organ dysfunction) that would preclude study participation * No serious infection * No preexisting grade 2 or greater sensory or motor neuropathy * HIV negative PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * At least 4 months since prior bone marrow transplantation * At least 72 hours since prior interleukin-11 * At least 72 hours since prior colony-stimulating factors (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\]) except epoetin alfa * No concurrent growth factors (e.g., GM-CSF) except epoetin alfa * Concurrent G-CSF allowed if neutropenia lasts longer than 5 days OR if the patient experiences confirmed septicemia associated with neutropenia * No concurrent immunotherapy * No concurrent interleukin-11 Chemotherapy: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 30 days since prior chemotherapy (42 days for nitrosoureas) * No other concurrent anticancer chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * Patients with brain tumors: * Must be on a stable or tapering dose of corticosteroids for 7 days before baseline scan performed for the purpose of assessing response to study therapy * Concurrent corticosteroids allowed for control of symptoms of tumor-associated edema Radiotherapy: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy * At least 4 months since prior extensive radiotherapy (craniospinal radiotherapy, total body irradiation, or radiotherapy to more than 50% of the pelvis) * No concurrent radiotherapy Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics Other: * Recovered from prior therapy * At least 30 days since prior investigational anticancer therapy * No other concurrent investigational agents