Pyroxamide in Treating Patients With Advanced Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed solid tumor or hematologic malignancy
• * Disease that has failed standard therapies (e.g., surgery, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, or chemotherapy) or for which no curative or life- prolonging therapy is available
• Measurable or clinically evaluable disease
• * Elevated tumor marker is acceptable for evaluable disease
• No known carcinomatous meningitis, primary brain tumors, or metastatic brain disease
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 125,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin normal
• AST no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver metastases present)
• PT no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Renal
• Creatinine normal
• Other
• HIV-positive status allowed
• Prior malignancy allowed
• No severe physical or emotional illness that would preclude study participation
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• No concurrent bone marrow growth factors
• Chemotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• Endocrine therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior wide-field radiotherapy and recovered
• At least 2 weeks since prior limited-field radiotherapy and recovered
• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other
• No other concurrent antitumor treatment