DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed solid tumor

  • Metastatic or unresectable disease
• Measurable or evaluable disease
• Standard curative or palliative chemotherapy measures do not exist or are no longer effective

• No known brain or meningeal metastases unless the patient meets all of the following criteria:

  • More than 6 months since prior definitive therapy
  • Negative imaging study within the past 4 weeks
  • Clinically stable with respect to tumor
  • No concurrent acute steroid therapy or taper

• Baseline screening test for UGT1A1 required

  • No UGT1A1 7/7 genotype allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• More than 12 weeks

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3

Hepatic

• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Bilirubin normal

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• No prior myocardial infarction
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia

Pulmonary

• No severe pulmonary disease requiring oxygen

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 30 days after study participation
• No glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency (for patients of African, Asian, or Mediterranean origin or ancestry)
• G6PD must be no lower than the lower limit of normal prior to starting study treatment
• No prior allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to 3-AP (Triapine^®) or other study agents
• No other concurrent uncontrolled illness
• No active or ongoing infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No concurrent routine filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF)

Chemotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• No prior irinotecan

Endocrine therapy

• See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No prior radiotherapy to > 25% of bone marrow

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• No concurrent enzyme-inducing anticonvulsant agents
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent investigational agents