DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, tumor types for which no standard treatment exists, or tumor types that have failed standard therapy
• Paclitaxel and cisplatin combination therapy must be an appropriate option in treating disease
• No potentially curable type of cancer (e.g., newly diagnosed testicular cancer)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• At least 6 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• WBC greater than 4,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin normal
• SGOT and SGPT normal

Renal:

• Creatinine normal
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

• No evidence of congestive heart failure
• No uncontrolled moderate to severe hypertension
• Includes patients with persistent elevated systolic blood pressures of greater than 170 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressures of greater than 100 mm Hg for more than 1 month while under medical treatment

Other:

• No active infection
• No perceived or actual clinical risk of cisplatin induced toxicity that exceeds the clinical benefit of using cisplatin therapy
• No known history of severe hypersensitivity to polyoxyl 35 castor oil vehicle
• No severe medical problems unrelated to malignancy that would interfere with compliance in this study
• Not pregnant
• Effective contraception required of all fertile patients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No concurrent colony stimulating factors except for febrile neutropenia
• No concurrent aminoglycoside therapy except for febrile neutropenia or other life threatening infections
• No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy:

• At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas or mitomycin
• At least 3 weeks since other prior chemotherapy
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• No prior radiotherapy to measurable disease

Surgery:

• At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery

Other:

• No other concurrent investigational agents