Neoadjuvant Tipifarnib, Docetaxel, and Capecitabine in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors or Stage IIIA or Stage IIIB Breast Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed solid tumor * Locally advanced or metastatic * No known standard therapy that is potentially curative or definitely capable of extending life expectancy * No history of metastatic brain disease within the past 6 months * Treated metastatic brain disease is allowed provided disease has been stable for more than 6 months and does not require concurrent steroids or anti-seizure medication * Histologically confirmed breast cancer * Stage IIIA or stage IIIB, including ipsilateral palpable supraclavicular lymph node(s) without other distant metastasis * Invasive disease confirmed by 1 of the following\*: * Incisional biopsy * Punch biopsy (applicable for clinical T4b tumors) * Core needle (cutting needle) biopsies * No distant metastatic disease * Hormone receptor status: * Not specified * Male or female * Performance status - ECOG 0-1 * Absolute neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 10.0 g/dL * Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN) * Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN * AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN * Creatinine no greater than 1.25 times ULN * Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min * No cardiac arrhythmia * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No active infection requiring antibiotics * No diabetes * No symptomatic neurologic condition * No other uncontrolled serious medical condition * No other malignancy within the past 3 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No history of hypersensitivity to intravenous paclitaxel or other medication containing Cremophor EL or polysorbate 80 as a carrier (phase Ib) * Phase Ib only: * More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy * No concurrent immunotherapy * Phase Ib and II: * No concurrent prophylactic filgrastim (G-CSF) * Phase Ib only: * More than 1 year since prior adjuvant docetaxel before metastatic relapse * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered * No prior capecitabine AND docetaxel (in combination or as single agents) * Prior capecitabine OR docetaxel allowed * No other concurrent chemotherapy * Phase II only: * No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for breast cancer * Phase Ib only: * More than 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy to more than 25% of bone marrow * No concurrent radiotherapy * Phase II only: * No prior radiotherapy for breast cancer * Phase Ib only: * More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery * Phase II only: * No prior surgery (other than core or incisional biopsy for diagnostic purposes) for breast cancer * Phase Ib only: * No other ancillary investigational therapy * Phase Ib and II: * No concurrent sorivudine or brivudine