Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Children With Solid Tumors That Have Not Responded to Previous Therapy

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed initial diagnosis of malignant solid tumor refractory to conventional therapy or for which no effective therapy exists
• * Brain tumors allowed if not on anticonvulsants
• * Brainstem gliomas allowed without histologic diagnosis
• * Solid lymphomas allowed
• No bone marrow involvement
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 1 to 21
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 50-100% if over 10 years of age
• Lansky 50-100% if 10 years of age and under
• Life expectancy:
• At least 8 weeks
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• ALT less than 5 times normal
• Albumin at least 2 g/dL
• Renal:
• Creatinine normal for age OR
• Glomerular filtration rate normal for age
• Other:
• No uncontrolled infection
• No other significant systemic illness
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 1 week since prior biologic therapy and recovered
• At least 1 week since prior growth factors
• No prior stem cell transplantation
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 2 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (4 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered
• No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens
• No other concurrent cancer chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Concurrent dexamethasone allowed in patients with CNS tumors provided dose is stable or decreasing for at least 2 weeks prior to study
• Radiotherapy:
• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• At least 2 weeks since prior local palliative radiotherapy (small port)
• No prior substantial bone marrow radiotherapy
• No prior central axis radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• Not specified
• Other:
• No concurrent anticonvulsants
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy or investigational agents