17-Dimethylaminoethylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-DMAG) in Treating Patients With an Advanced Solid Tumor or Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed malignant solid tumor OR lymphoma * Metastatic or unresectable disease * Standard curative or palliative measures are not available OR are associated with minimal survival benefit * No known brain metastases * Treated brain metastases allowed provided they have been stable ≥ 6 months without steroids or anti-seizure medications PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * ECOG 0-2 OR * Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy * More than 3 months Hematopoietic * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin \> 8 g/dL Hepatic * AST and ALT ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times normal * PT and PTT ≤ 1.5 times normal (unless due to the presence of lupus anticoagulant or stable anticoagulation) Renal * Creatinine normal OR * Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min Cardiovascular * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No orthostatic hypotension \> grade 2 (requiring more than brief fluid replacement or other therapy OR with physiological consequences) * No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure * LVEF ≥ 40% by MUGA * QTc ≤ 450 msec (470 msec for women) * No congenital long QT syndrome * No myocardial infarction within the past year * No active ischemic heart disease within the past year * No history of uncontrolled dysrhythmias * No history of serious ventricular arrhythmia (ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia \> 3 premature ventricular contractions in a row) * Not requiring antiarrhythmic drugs * No poorly controlled angina * No left bundle branch block Pulmonary * No uncontrolled symptomatic pulmonary disease, including any of the following: * Dyspnea off or on exertion * Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea * Severe chronic obstructive/restrictive pulmonary disease requiring daily chronic medications and oxygen * Must not meet the Medicare criteria for home oxygen * No sufficiently compromised pulmonary status as measured by baseline pulmonary function tests and DLCO Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 2 months after study participation * No known HIV positivity * No hyponatremia indicated by sodium \< 130 mmol/L * No known immunodeficiency syndromes * No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to 17-dimethylaminoethylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (geldanamycin or 17-AAG) * No concurrent uncontrolled illness * No active or ongoing uncontrolled infection * No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * More than 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy and recovered * No concurrent prophylactic growth factors Chemotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin, 8 weeks for UCN-01) and recovered Endocrine therapy * See Disease Characteristics * Concurrent hormonal therapy for prostate cancer allowed provided patient has metastatic disease that has progressed despite prior hormonal therapy Radiotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered * No prior radiotherapy that included the heart in the field (e.g., mantle radiotherapy) Surgery * At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery Other * At least 2 weeks since prior participation in a phase 0 study * Concurrent bisphosphonates for any cancer allowed * Concurrent preventative doses of aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs allowed * No concurrent drugs that may prolong QTc interval * No concurrent full anticoagulation on a regular basis * No concurrent prophylactic antiemetics * No other concurrent investigational agents or therapies * No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies