DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed solid tumor, excluding primary CNS tumors

  • Locally advanced or metastatic disease that is refractory to standard therapy OR for which no standard therapy exists

• Tumor assessible for biopsy by Tru-cut^®, CT guidance, or endoscopy (for patients treated at the maximum tolerated dose [expanded cohort only])

  • Pleural effusions or abdominal ascites are not considered biopsy-accessible tissue
• No known new CNS metastases that have not been previously treated

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

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

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• AST and ALT ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

• No history of cardiac arrhythmias
• No myocardial infarction within the past 12 months
• No active ischemic heart disease within the past 12 months
• No New York Heart Association class III-IV congestive heart failure or LVEF < 40% by MUGA
• No history of uncontrolled cardiac dysrhythmia or dysrhthmias requiring medication
• No history of serious ventricular arrhythmia (i.e., ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation ≥ 3 beats in a row)
• No congenital long QT syndrome
• No left bundle branch block
• QTc < 450 msec (for male patients)
• QTc < 470 msec (for female patients)

Other

• Not pregnant
• No nursing during and for 2 months after study participation
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 2 months after study participation
• No serious or uncontrolled infection
• No history of serious allergic reaction to eggs or egg products
• No other medical condition that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• No concurrent prophylactic filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF)

Chemotherapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• Prior irinotecan allowed
• No prior 17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG)
• At least 2 weeks since prior non-myelosuppressive chemotherapy (at the discretion of the principal investigator)

Radiotherapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy field that included the heart (e.g., mantle)

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• Recovered from all prior therapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior anticancer investigational therapeutic drugs

• More than 7 days since prior and no concurrent inducers, inhibitors, or modifiers of CYP3A4, including any of the following:

  • Fluconazole
  • Itraconazole
  • Ketoconazole
  • Azithromycin
  • Clarithromycin
  • Erythromycin
  • Troleandomycin
  • Nifedipine
  • Verapamil
  • Diltiazem
  • Nefazodone
  • Cyclosporine
  • Grapefruit juice (> 1 quart/day)
  • Indinavir
  • Nelfinavir
  • Ritonavir
  • Saquinavir
  • Carbamazepine
  • Phenobarbital
  • Phenytoin
  • Rifampin
  • Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal)
  • Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
  • Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw)
  • Echinacea angustifolia root
  • Trifolium pratense (wild cherry)
  • Matricaria chamomila (chamomile)
  • Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice)
  • Dillapiol
  • Hypericin
  • Naringenin
• No concurrent medications that would prolong QTc

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

  • Concurrent single daily multivitamin allowed
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent investigational medications