Rebeccamycin Analog and Cisplatin With or Without Filgrastim in Treating Patients With Advanced Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically proven advanced malignancy that is refractory to prior therapy or unlikely to benefit from standard therapy (e.g., chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery)

  * Part I: Previously untreated OR minimally pretreated

    * Ineligible for part I and considered heavily pretreated if:

      * Prior radiotherapy to wide ports involving the pelvis or at least 25% of bone marrow
      * Greater than 6 courses of prior combination chemotherapy including alkylating agent
      * Prior nitrosoureas or mitomycin
      * Widespread bone metastases with bone marrow involvement by bone marrow biopsy (positive bilateral bone marrow biopsy for lymphoma patients)
  * Part II: Heavily pretreated as defined above
* Measurable or evaluable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* SWOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

* At least 3 months

Hematopoietic:

* Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin greater than 9 mg/dL
* Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL

Renal:

* Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

* No uncontrolled hypertension
* No angina pectoris
* No clinically significant, multifocal, uncontrolled cardiac dysrhythmias

Other:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No active serious infection
* No clinically severe peripheral neuropathy (grade 1 or worse)
* No nonmalignant medical condition that would preclude compliance or increase risk of participation in study
* No hypersensitivity to E. coli derived drug preparations

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* No other concurrent colony stimulating factors for prophylactic purposes

Chemotherapy:

* At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas and mitomycin) and recovered

Endocrine therapy:

* No chronic oral corticosteroids
* No concurrent corticosteroids except as prophylactic antiemetic

Radiotherapy:

* At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

Other:

* At least 1 month since prior investigational agent
* No prophylactic oral or IV antibiotics for neutropenia unless fever present
* No other concurrent anticancer treatment or investigational agent