VNP40101M in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors or Lymphomas

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of VNP40101M in treating patients who have advanced solid tumors or lymphomas.

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the maximum tolerated dose of VNP40101M in patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphomas. * Determine the toxic effects of this drug in these patients. * Determine the pharmacokinetics of this drug in these patients. * Determine the anti-tumor effects of this drug in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study. Patients receive VNP40101M IV over 15 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 4 weeks for up to 8 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Cohorts of 1-6 patients receive escalating doses of VNP40101M until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the highest dose at which no more than 1 of 6 patients experiences dose-limiting toxicity. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 20-30 patients will be accrued for this study.