DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed solid tumor

  • Locally advanced or metastatic disease
• Refractory to standard therapy OR not amenable to standard therapy
• No known CNS metastasis or CNS primary

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy

• At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic

• Neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• WBC count ≥ 3,500/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.5 g/dL
• Haptoglobin ≥ 30 mg/dL
• No concurrent hemolysis or history of non-drug-induced hemolysis (e.g., spherocytosis)

Hepatic

• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• PT and PTT normal

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

• No cardiac arrhythmias
• No congestive heart failure
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

Other

• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• No nursing during and for at least 2 months after study participation
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 2 months after study participation
• HIV negative
• No mental incapacity that would preclude giving informed consent
• No moderate-to-severe high-frequency hearing loss
• No persistent severe (grade 2) drug-induced peripheral neuropathy
• No known allergy to cisplatin or any other platinum-containing compound
• No serious or uncontrolled infection
• No other medical condition or reason that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

• Prior cisplatin allowed
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas and mitomycin)

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• Recovered from all prior therapy

• No concurrent vitamins, antioxidants, herbal preparations, or supplements

  • Concurrent single tablet multivitamin allowed
• No other concurrent investigational medications