MS-275 in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors or Lymphoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed malignancy that is metastatic or unresectable and for which no effective standard curative or palliative therapy exists
• Brain metastases allowed provided both of the following criteria are met:
• * Received treatment for the brain metastases
• * Stable for ≥ 6 months without steroids or antiseizure medications
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2 OR
• Karnofsky 50-100%
• Life expectancy:
• More than 3 months
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (≤ 3 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
• AST/ALT no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• Albumin at least 75% of lower limit of normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine normal OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• Cardiac ejection fraction normal by MUGA
• 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 contraception
• Adequate oral intake
• No weight loss of more than 10% of actual body weight within the past 2 months
• No history of allergic reaction to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to study drug
• No other uncontrolled illness
• No ongoing or active infection
• No seizure disorder
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No acute or chronic gastrointestinal conditions (e.g., peptic ulcer or colitis) within the past 2 months that would interfere with drug tolerance or absorption
• Willing and able to self-administer and document doses of MS-275
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer vaccine therapy and recovered
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• At least 8 weeks since prior UCN-01 and recovered
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer hormonal therapy (except gonadotropin-releasing hormone \[GnRH\] agonists) and recovered
• Concurrent corticosteroids for physiological replacement, as antiemetic therapy, or for an ongoing condition allowed
• * Must be on a stable dose during the past 4 weeks
• No concurrent anticancer hormonal therapy except GnRH agonists for noncastrated patients with prostate cancer
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer radiotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• * Concurrent localized radiotherapy to a single lesion allowed if the patient achieves at least a partial response
• Surgery:
• At least 3 weeks since prior major surgery
• Other:
• No other concurrent investigational or commercial antineoplastic therapies