DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of advanced malignancy

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

• No known brain metastases

  • Patients with previously treated brain metastases are eligible provided they have recovered from prior treatment

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2 OR
• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy

• At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

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

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• AST and ALT ≤ 3.0 times upper limit of normal

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• Corrected calcium ≤ 10.5 mg/dL
• Prior single confirmed urolithiasis allowed provided patient is free of stone formation for ≥ 5 years
• No calculi in the urinary tract on kidney ultrasound biopsy or other imaging studies

Cardiovascular

• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study treatment
• No ongoing or active infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to study drugs
• No other uncontrolled illness

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• Curative therapy for a condition associated with the risk of renal stones (e.g., hyperparathyroidism, bladder dysfunction, or obstructive uropathy) allowed provided patients have been free of stone formation for ≥ 5 years
• No concurrent digoxin
• No other concurrent investigational agents