Neoadjuvant Tipifarnib, Docetaxel, and Capecitabine in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors or Stage IIIA or Stage IIIB Breast Cancer

You may be eligible if

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed solid tumor
• * Locally advanced or metastatic
• No known standard therapy that is potentially curative or definitely capable of extending life expectancy
• No history of metastatic brain disease within the past 6 months
• * Treated metastatic brain disease is allowed provided disease has been stable for more than 6 months and does not require concurrent steroids or anti-seizure medication
• Histologically confirmed breast cancer
• * Stage IIIA or stage IIIB, including ipsilateral palpable supraclavicular lymph node(s) without other distant metastasis
• * Invasive disease confirmed by 1 of the following\*:
• * Incisional biopsy
• * Punch biopsy (applicable for clinical T4b tumors)
• * Core needle (cutting needle) biopsies
• No distant metastatic disease
• Hormone receptor status:
• * Not specified
• Male or female
• Performance status - ECOG 0-1
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 10.0 g/dL
• Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• Creatinine no greater than 1.25 times ULN
• Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No active infection requiring antibiotics
• No diabetes
• No symptomatic neurologic condition
• No other uncontrolled serious medical condition
• No other malignancy within the past 3 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No history of hypersensitivity to intravenous paclitaxel or other medication containing Cremophor EL or polysorbate 80 as a carrier (phase Ib)
• Phase Ib only:
• * More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• * More than 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy
• * No concurrent immunotherapy
• Phase Ib and II:
• * No concurrent prophylactic filgrastim (G-CSF)
• Phase Ib only:
• * More than 1 year since prior adjuvant docetaxel before metastatic relapse
• * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered
• * No prior capecitabine AND docetaxel (in combination or as single agents)
• * Prior capecitabine OR docetaxel allowed
• * No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Phase II only:
• * No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for breast cancer
• Phase Ib only:
• * More than 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• * No prior radiotherapy to more than 25% of bone marrow
• * No concurrent radiotherapy
• Phase II only:
• * No prior radiotherapy for breast cancer
• Phase Ib only:
• * More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery
• Phase II only:
• * No prior surgery (other than core or incisional biopsy for diagnostic purposes) for breast cancer
• Phase Ib only:
• * No other ancillary investigational therapy
• Phase Ib and II:
• * No concurrent sorivudine or brivudine