17-N-Allylamino-17-Demethoxygeldanamycin in Treating Patients With Solid Tumors That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* One of the following diagnoses:

  * Histologically or cytologically confirmed solid tumor\*

    * Unresectable disease
  * Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

    * Relapsed disease
    * Failed at least 1 prior therapy
    * Neoplastic cells are accessible through biopsy NOTE: \*Only patients with biopsy-accessible superficial tumors or lymphoma are eligible once the maximum tolerated dose has been determined
* No known standard therapy that is potentially curative or definitely capable of extending life expectancy exists
* No CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

* At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver involvement)

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 1.25 times ULN OR
* Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

* No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Other:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective nonhormonal contraception
* No uncontrolled infection
* No seizure disorder
* No history of serious allergic reaction to eggs

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
* More than 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy
* No concurrent immunotherapy
* No concurrent routine or prophylactic use of a colony-stimulating factor (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\])

Chemotherapy:

* More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas) and recovered from acute and reversible toxic effects
* No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* No concurrent birth control pills
* No concurrent steroids as anti-emetics

Radiotherapy:

* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
* No prior radiotherapy to more than 25% of the bone marrow
* No prior radiopharmaceuticals
* No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

* Not specified

Other:

* No concurrent 3A4 enzyme inhibitors (e.g., verapamil, erythromycin, miconazole, or ketoconazole)
* No concurrent investigational ancillary therapy
* No concurrent enrollment in another study involving a pharmacologic agent (e.g., drugs, biologics, immunotherapy approaches, or gene therapy) for symptom control or therapeutic intent