Interferon Alfa in Treating Patients With Stage IV Solid Tumors, Lymphoma, or Myeloma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed malignancy, including, but not limited to, renal cell carcinoma, melanoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, breast carcinoma, lymphoma, myeloma, or tumors of endothelial origin * Stage IV disease * Refractory to standard therapy * Measurable or evaluable disease * Evaluable disease can include clinically or radiographically nonmeasurable tumor or specific tumor markers * Patients with prior solitary CNS metastasis allowed * Must have had prior definitive therapy ≥ 3 months previously * No requirement for glucocorticoids unless for physiologic replacement * No multiple CNS metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-1 * Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ * Creatinine ≤ 1.3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) OR * Creatinine clearance of 60 mL/min * Bilirubin ≤ 1.3 times ULN * AST ≤ 5 times ULN * No pregnant or lactating women * Fertile women and men, unless surgically sterile, must use effective contraception * No history of serious cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrhythmia requiring treatment * No congestive heart failure * No angina pectoris * No New York Heart Association class III or IV disease * No other severe cardiovascular disease * No known seizure disorder * No known HIV or hepatitis B surface antigen positivity * No active clinical infection requiring antibiotics within the past 7 days PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 4 months since prior interferon therapy and/or ≤ 400 million units of interferon * At least 3 weeks since prior major surgery requiring general anesthesia * At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy * Treatment with hormones or other chemotherapeutic agents may not be administered except for steroids given for preexisting adrenal failure or hormones administered for nondisease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes) * No prior organ allograft * No concurrent dexamethasone, other steroidal antiemetics, or anti-inflammatories * No concurrent palliative radiotherapy