UCN-01 and Prednisone in Treating Patients With Solid Tumors or Lymphoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed solid tumor or lymphoma
• * Progressive disease after standard therapy
• * No other therapy is likely to improve survival
• Prostate cancer patients must have progressed through hormonal therapy with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and withdrawal of testosterone receptor antagonists
• * Patients must continue on GnRH agonist during study (if orchiectomy has not been performed) and have castrate testosterone levels
• Brain metastases allowed if treated and the patient has been stable off anti-seizure medication or steroids for \> 6 months
• No local complications from disease requiring urgent therapy (i.e., hydronephrosis, spinal cord compression, or severe pain requiring improved pain management)
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• At least 3 months
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3
• 12-hour fasting glucose no greater than 110 mg/dL OR
• 12-hour fasting glucose no greater than 140 mg/dL with hemoglobin A1C no greater than 6.5 mg/dL
• Hepatic
• PT/PTT no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times ULN (unless Gilbert's syndrome present)
• AST/ALT no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• Renal
• Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min OR
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• Pulmonary
• No interstitial lung disease within the past year
• No requirement for oxygen therapy for hypoxia in the past 6 months
• Gastrointestinal
• No diagnosis of duodenal or gastric ulcer
• No severe gastritis within the past 6 months
• Other
• HIV negative
• No prior allergic reactions to other indolocarbazoles
• No diabetes or hyperglycemia within the past year that required a diabetic diet, oral hypoglycemics, or insulin
• No other uncontrolled illness
• No active infection
• No seizure disorder
• No psychiatric illness that would preclude study compliance
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 2 months after study therapy
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• No prior UCN-01
• Endocrine therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• No other concurrent oral or IV steroids
• Radiotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 21 days since prior major surgery
• Other
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy