Epoetin Alfa in Treating Fatigue in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors Who Are Not Receiving Chemotherapy

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of stage III or IV invasive non-myeloid malignancy * Not currently hospitalized * At least somewhat bothered by fatigue based on self-report * No significant psychological distress indicated by total score of 6 or more on questions 1 and 2 of the Three-Question Screening Survey (3QSS) * No score less than 2 on question 3 of 3QSS indicating low level of fatigue within the past week * No uncontrolled brain metastases or leptomeningeal involvement PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Performance status: * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-3 Life expectancy: * At least 12 weeks Hematopoietic: * Hemoglobin at least 8.5 g/dL but no greater than 11 g/dL * No anemia due to factors other than cancer or chemotherapy (e.g., iron or folate deficiency, hemolysis, or bleeding) * No prior or concurrent hematological disease Hepatic: * Not specified Renal: * Not specified Cardiovascular: * No uncontrolled hypertension (diastolic blood pressure greater than 100 mm Hg or systolic blood pressure greater than 200 mm Hg) * No significant uncontrolled concurrent cardiovascular disease or dysfunction not attributable to malignancy or chemotherapy * No history of deep-vein thrombosis Pulmonary: * No significant uncontrolled concurrent pulmonary disease or dysfunction not attributable to malignancy or chemotherapy Other: * Not pregnant or nursing * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after study participation * Able to understand and complete self-report symptom assessment forms in English * No serious concurrent infection * No known hypersensitivity to mammalian cell-derived products or human albumin * No uncontrolled seizures * No significant uncontrolled concurrent endocrine, neurologic, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary system disease or dysfunction not attributable to malignancy or chemotherapy PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * See Chemotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy (e.g., interferon or interleukin-2) * More than 2 months since prior red blood cells (RBC) transfusion * More than 1 month since prior epoetin alfa or investigational forms of epoetin alfa (e.g., gene-activated, novel erythropoiesis-stimulating protein) * Concurrent non-myelosuppressive therapy (e.g., monoclonal antibody infusions, antiangiogenesis inhibitors, or signal transduction inhibitors) allowed * No other concurrent biologic therapy Chemotherapy: * No prior high-dose chemotherapy (e.g., with bone marrow or stem cell transplantation) * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy * No concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * Concurrent hormonal therapy allowed (e.g., luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists or tamoxifen) Radiotherapy: * More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy * No concurrent radiotherapy Surgery: * Not specified