FR901228 in Treating Children With Refractory or Recurrent Solid Tumors or Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed malignancy * Extracranial solid tumors or brain tumors\* * Diagnosis of leukemia allowed after maximum tolerated dose is determined, including any of the following: * Acute lymphoblastic leukemia * Acute myelogenous leukemia * Chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast crisis * Disease must be refractory to conventional therapy or no effective conventional therapy exists * CNS tumors resulting in neurological deficits must be stable for 2 weeks before study entry * Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100% (over 10 years old) * Performance status - Lansky 60-100% (10 years old and under) * At least 8 weeks * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm\^3 (for solid tumor patients without bone marrow involvement) * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 (for solid tumor patients without bone marrow involvement; platelet transfusion independent) OR 20,000/mm\^3 (for leukemia patients; platelet transfusion allowed) * Hemoglobin at least 8.0 g/dL (RBC transfusions allowed) * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * ALT no greater than 5 times ULN * Albumin at least 2 g/dL * Glomerular filtration rate at least 70 mL/min * Creatinine based on age as follows: * No greater than 0.8 mg/dL (for patients 5 years of age and under) * No greater than 1.0 mg/dL (for patients 6 to 10 years of age) * No greater than 1.2 mg/dL (for patients 11 to 15 years of age) * No greater than 1.5 mg/dL (for patients over 15 years of age) * Calcium normal (with or without supplementation) * Shortening fraction at least 27% by echocardiogram OR ejection fraction at least 50% by MUGA * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia * QTc less than 450 msec * No evidence of dyspnea at rest * No exercise intolerance * Pulse oximetry greater than 94% * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 1 month after completion of study treatment * Magnesium and potassium normal (with or without supplementation) * No uncontrolled seizure disorder * No uncontrolled infection * No graft-vs-host disease * No seizure disorder unless well controlled and not on enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants * At least 1 week since prior growth factors * At least 3 weeks since prior biologic therapy or immunotherapy and recovered * At least 6 months since prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation * No concurrent routine prophylactic growth factors * At least 3 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (4 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered * No prior FR901228 (depsipeptide) * No other concurrent anticancer chemotherapy * Concurrent dexamethasone for CNS tumors allowed if on stable dose or decreasing dose for at least 1 week before study entry * Recovered from prior radiotherapy * At least 2 weeks since prior local palliative radiotherapy (small port) * At least 6 months since prior craniospinal radiotherapy or radiotherapy to at least 50% of pelvis * At least 6 weeks since other prior substantial bone marrow radiation * More than a 5 half-life washout period since prior and no concurrent medications associated with prolongation of QTc interval * No concurrent enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants * No concurrent hydrochlorothiazide * No other concurrent investigational drugs