3-AP in Treating Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors

Criteria: * Must be able to swallow * Histologically confirmed solid tumor * Advanced or metastatic disease * Measurable or evaluable disease * No known active CNS metastases * ECOG performance status 0-1 * Life expectancy \> 3 months * Progressive disease during \>= 1 prior standard therapy OR disease unlikely to respond to any currently available therapies * Patients with previously treated CNS metastases who have no evidence of new CNS metastases AND are stable for \>= 2 months are eligible * Platelet count \>= 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin \>= 10 g/dL (transfusions allowed) * Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mm\^3 * ALT and AST =\< 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Alkaline phosphatase =\< 2.5 times ULN * Creatinine =\< 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance \>= 50 mL/min * Bilirubin normal * PT/PTT =\< 1.5 times ULN * FEV1 \>= 1.2 L * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception 2 weeks prior to and during study treatment * No mental deficits and/or psychiatric history that may preclude study treatment * No active heart disease, including any of the following: myocardial infarction within the past 3 months, symptomatic coronary artery disease or heart block, uncontrolled congestive heart failure * No moderate to severe compromise of pulmonary function * No active infection * No other life-threatening illness * No active coagulation disorder other than occult blood * No known positivity for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency * Recovered from prior treatment * Prior gemcitabine allowed * More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) * More than 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy or any other treatment for this cancer * No prior 3-AP * No concurrent radiotherapy * No other concurrent investigational agent