Vorinostat and Gemcitabine in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Unresectable Solid Tumors

Inclusion Criteria

• •ECOG 0-2 OR Karnofsky 60-100%
• •AST and ALT =\< 2.5 times ULN
• •Bilirubin =\< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •Platelet count \>= 100,000/mm3
• •Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mm3
• •Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •Any number and type of prior chemotherapies are allowed including prior use of gemcitabine chemotherapy. A washout phase of at least 2 weeks since use of prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy, 6 weeks if the last regimen included nitrosoureas or mitomycin C, is required.
• •Patients must have histologically confirmed epithelial malignancy that is metastatic or unresectable and for which standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective.
• •Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
• •Patients must have at least one measurable lesion as per the RECIST Criteria that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension, with minimum lesion size equal to or more than twice the slice thickness of the imaging study used.