FAU in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors or Lymphoma

Inclusion Criteria: * Measurable disease by CT scan and/or MRI * Archival tumor tissue sample available for correlative pharmacodynamic and pharmacogenomic studies * Accessible tumor tissue available (for patients enrolled in the expanded maximum tolerated dose \[MTD\] cohort) * No known active brain metastases but previously treated brain metastases allowed * ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 OR Karnofsky PS 70-100% * AST and ALT =\< 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (=\< 5 times ULN if liver metastases are present) * Alkaline phosphatase =\< 2.0 times ULN (=\< 5 times ULN if bone or liver metastases are present) * Bilirubin normal * Creatinine normal or creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Willing to undergo tumor biopsies for correlative pharmacodynamic studies (for patients enrolled in the expanded MTD cohort) * Able to lie still for PET scan * Weight =\< 300 lbs * No uncontrolled illness including, but not limited to, any of the following: * Ongoing or active infection * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Unstable angina pectoris * Cardiac arrhythmia * Psychiatric illness/social situation that would preclude compliance with study requirements * No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to FAU * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas, mitomycin C, or bleomycin), immunotherapy, or experimental therapy and recovered * More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy to \> 5% of total marrow volume * No prior radiotherapy to \>= 50% of total marrow volume * More than 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy to =\< 5% of total marrow volume * No other concurrent investigational agents * ANC \>= 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count \>= 100,000/mm\^3 * Life expectancy \> 12 weeks * Histologically or cytologically confirmed malignant solid tumor for which standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective * Solid hematologic malignancies (e.g., Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma) allowed provided bone marrow biopsy has been performed within the past 6 weeks * Metastatic or unresectable disease * No other concurrent anticancer therapy (e.g., cytotoxic therapy, biologic therapy, radiotherapy, or hormonal therapy) * Concurrent hormone replacement therapy allowed * Concurrent megestrol acetate or bisphosphonates allowed provided they were started 1 month prior to study enrollment * Concurrent luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists to maintain castrate levels of testosterone allowed for patients with prostate cancer