DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed solid tumor or lymphoma
• Metastatic or unresectable disease for which standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective
• No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 (Karnofsky PS 60-100%)
• Life expectancy > 12 weeks
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm³
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm³
• Bilirubin normal
• AST/ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• Left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 45% by nuclear cardiac imaging or echocardiogram
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 28 days after completion of study therapy
• QTc < 450 msec for men and < 470 msec for women
• No history of long QT syndrome
• No history of serious ventricular arrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation ≥ 3 beats in a row)
• No poorly controlled or unstable angina pectoris
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure
• No condition requiring anti-arrhythmic therapy
• No uncontrolled dysrhythmias
• No ischemic or severe valvular heart disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past 12 months
• No other significant cardiac disease
• No ongoing or active infection
• No other uncontrolled illness
• No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to PXD101
• No known egg allergy
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Prior treatment with any histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor or 17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) allowed if patient did not experience dose-limiting toxicity
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) and recovered
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• At least 2 weeks since prior valproic acid
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No concurrent medications that prolong or may prolong QTc or may cause torsade des pointes
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No concurrent grapefruit or grapefruit juice
• No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies
• No prophylactic growth factor support during course 1 of study therapy