17-AAG and Irinotecan in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed solid tumor, excluding primary CNS tumors * Locally advanced or metastatic disease that is refractory to standard therapy OR for which no standard therapy exists * Tumor assessible for biopsy by Tru-cut\^®, CT guidance, or endoscopy (for patients treated at the maximum tolerated dose \[expanded cohort only\]) * Pleural effusions or abdominal ascites are not considered biopsy-accessible tissue * No known new CNS metastases that have not been previously treated * Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100% * WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL * AST and ALT ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver metastases are present) * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL * No history of cardiac arrhythmias * No myocardial infarction within the past 12 months * No active ischemic heart disease within the past 12 months * No New York Heart Association class III-IV congestive heart failure or LVEF \< 40% by MUGA * No history of uncontrolled cardiac dysrhythmia or dysrhthmias requiring medication * No history of serious ventricular arrhythmia (i.e., ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation ≥ 3 beats in a row) * No congenital long QT syndrome * No left bundle branch block * QTc \< 450 msec (for male patients) * QTc \< 470 msec (for female patients) * Not pregnant * No nursing during and for 2 months after study participation * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 2 months after study participation * No serious or uncontrolled infection * No history of serious allergic reaction to eggs or egg products * No other medical condition that would preclude study participation * At least 3 weeks since prior immunotherapy * No concurrent prophylactic filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF) * At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) * Prior irinotecan allowed * No prior 17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) * At least 2 weeks since prior non-myelosuppressive chemotherapy (at the discretion of the principal investigator) * At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy field that included the heart (e.g., mantle) * Recovered from all prior therapy * At least 3 weeks since prior anticancer investigational therapeutic drugs * More than 7 days since prior and no concurrent inducers, inhibitors, or modifiers of CYP3A4, including any of the following: * Fluconazole * Itraconazole * Ketoconazole * Azithromycin * Clarithromycin * Erythromycin * Troleandomycin * Nifedipine * Verapamil * Diltiazem * Nefazodone * Cyclosporine * Grapefruit juice (\> 1 quart/day) * Indinavir * Nelfinavir * Ritonavir * Saquinavir * Carbamazepine * Phenobarbital * Phenytoin * Rifampin * Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal) * Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) * Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw) * Echinacea angustifolia root * Trifolium pratense (wild cherry) * Matricaria chamomila (chamomile) * Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) * Dillapiol * Hypericin * Naringenin * No concurrent medications that would prolong QTc * No concurrent vitamins, antioxidants, herbal preparations, or supplements * Concurrent single daily multivitamin allowed * No other concurrent anticancer therapy * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients * No other concurrent investigational medications