Obatoclax Mesylate, Vincristine Sulfate, Doxorubicin Hydrochloride, and Dexrazoxane Hydrochloride in Treating Young Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors, Lymphoma, or Leukemia

Stratum 1 (solid tumors, including lymphomas): patients must have had histologic verification of malignancy at original diagnosis or relapse; patients with recurrent or refractory solid tumors are eligible, excluding primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors or patients with known CNS metastases

Stratum 2 (mixed-lineage leukemia \[MLL\] + leukemia): patients with recurrent or refractory MLL+ leukemia are eligible excluding those patients with symptomatic CNS leukemia, CNS chloromas, or leptomeningeal leukemic involvement

Stratum 3 (other leukemias): patients with non-MLL+ recurrent or refractory leukemia (acute lymphoblastic leukemia \[ALL\], acute myeloid leukemia \[AML\] or chronic myeloid leukemia \[CML\] in blast crisis) are eligible excluding those patients with symptomatic CNS leukemia, CNS chloromas, or leptomeningeal leukemic involvement

Stratum 1: patients must have either measurable or evaluable disease

Strata 2 and 3: patients with leukemia must have a \> 25% blasts on bone marrow aspirate to be eligible

Patient's current disease state must be one for which there is no known curative therapy or therapy proven to prolong survival with an acceptable quality of life

Karnofsky \>= 50% for patients \> 16 years of age and Lansky \>= 50 for patients =\< 16 years of age

Patients must have fully recovered from the acute toxic effects of all prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiotherapy prior to entering this study

* Myelosuppressive chemotherapy: must not have received within 3 weeks of enrollment onto this study (6 weeks if prior nitrosourea); hydroxyurea may be administered prior to study enrollment; in such cases at least 24 hours must have elapsed between the last dose of hydroxyurea and the first dose of obatoclax

* Hematopoietic growth factors: at least 7 days since the completion of therapy with a growth factor

* Biologic (anti-neoplastic agent): at least 7 days since the completion of therapy with a biologic agent; for agents that have known adverse events occurring beyond 7 days after administration, this period must be extended beyond the time during which adverse events are known to occur; the duration of this interval must be discussed with the study chair

* Immunotherapy: at least 6 weeks since the completion of any type of immunotherapy, e.g. tumor vaccines

* Monoclonal antibodies: at least 3 half-lives since prior therapy that includes a monoclonal antibody

* Radiation therapy (XRT): \>= 2 weeks (wks) for local palliative XRT (small port); \>= 6 months must have elapsed if prior total-body irradiation (TBI), craniospinal XRT or if \>= 50% radiation of pelvis; \>= 6 wks must have elapsed if other substantial bone marrow (BM) radiation

* Stem cell transplant or rescue without TBI: no evidence of active graft vs. host disease and \>= 3 months must have elapsed since transplant

STRATUM 1: Peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1000/mm\^3

STRATUS 1: Platelet count \>= 100,000/mm\^3 (transfusion independent, defined as not receiving platelet transfusions within a 7 day period prior to enrollment)

STRATUM 1: Hemoglobin \>= 8.0 g/dL (may receive red blood cell \[RBC\] transfusions)

STRATA 2 and 3: Platelet count \>= 20,000/mm\^3 (may receive platelet transfusions)

STRATA 2 and 3: Hemoglobin \>= 8.0 g/dL (may receive RBC transfusions)

Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate (GFR) \>= 70ml/min/1.73 m\^2 OR a serum creatinine based on age/gender as follows:

* 0.5 mg/dL (6 months to \< 1 year of age)

* 0.6 mg/dL (1 to \< 2 years of age)

* 0.8 mg/dL (2 to \< 6 years of age)

* 1 mg/dL (6 to \< 10 years of age)

* 1.2 mg/dL (10 to \< 13 years of age)

* 1.5 mg/dL (male) or 1.4 mg/dL (female) (13 to \< 16 years of age)

* 1.7 mg/dL (male) or 1.4 mg/dL (female) (\>= 16 years of age)

Bilirubin (sum of conjugated + unconjugated) \>= 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) for age

Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) (alanine aminotransferase \[ALT\]) \>= 110 U/L; for the purpose of this study, the ULN for SGPT is 45 U/L

Serum albumin \>= 2 g/dL

Shortening fraction of \>= 27% by echocardiogram, or ejection fraction of \>= 50% by gated radionuclide study

Stable neurological examination for at least 2 weeks prior to study enrollment; no known \> grade 2 unresolved neurological toxicities

All patients and/or their parents or legal guardians must sign a written informed consent; assent, when appropriate, will be obtained according to institutional guidelines

What this study is about