MS-275 in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors or Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed malignancy that is metastatic or unresectable and for which no effective standard curative or palliative therapy exists
* Brain metastases allowed provided both of the following criteria are met:

  * Received treatment for the brain metastases
  * Stable for ≥ 6 months without steroids or antiseizure medications

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-2 OR
* Karnofsky 50-100%

Life expectancy:

* More than 3 months

Hematopoietic:

* WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (≤ 3 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
* AST/ALT no greater than 2.5 times ULN
* Albumin at least 75% of lower limit of normal

Renal:

* Creatinine normal OR
* Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

* Cardiac ejection fraction normal by MUGA
* No symptomatic congestive heart failure
* No unstable angina pectoris
* No cardiac arrhythmia

Other:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Adequate oral intake
* No weight loss of more than 10% of actual body weight within the past 2 months
* No history of allergic reaction to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to study drug
* No other uncontrolled illness
* No ongoing or active infection
* No seizure disorder
* No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
* No acute or chronic gastrointestinal conditions (e.g., peptic ulcer or colitis) within the past 2 months that would interfere with drug tolerance or absorption
* Willing and able to self-administer and document doses of MS-275

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer vaccine therapy and recovered
* No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
* At least 8 weeks since prior UCN-01 and recovered
* No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer hormonal therapy (except gonadotropin-releasing hormone \[GnRH\] agonists) and recovered
* Concurrent corticosteroids for physiological replacement, as antiemetic therapy, or for an ongoing condition allowed

  * Must be on a stable dose during the past 4 weeks
* No concurrent anticancer hormonal therapy except GnRH agonists for noncastrated patients with prostate cancer

Radiotherapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer radiotherapy and recovered
* No concurrent radiotherapy

  * Concurrent localized radiotherapy to a single lesion allowed if the patient achieves at least a partial response

Surgery:

* At least 3 weeks since prior major surgery

Other:

* No other concurrent investigational or commercial antineoplastic therapies