Photodynamic Therapy in Treating Patients With Skin Cancer or Solid Tumors Metastatic to the Skin

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed tumor for which no potential curative therapy exists (e.g., surgery, radiotherapy, or systemic chemotherapy)

  * The following tumor types are eligible:

    * Cutaneous nodular metastatic breast carcinoma lesion with loco-regional cutaneous, soft tissue, or chest wall involvement

      * No chest wall recurrence without prior radiotherapy
      * Other metastatic sites allowed provided patient is concurrently receiving hormonal therapy or trastuzumab (Herceptin) of at least 4 weeks duration
    * Cutaneous or superficial subcutaneous nodular metastatic head and neck lesion
    * Cutaneous nodular Kaposi's sarcoma lesion
    * Stage IA-IIB or IVA cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)

      * CTCL patches, plaques, or tumors with a surface area of up to 25 cm\^2 if other areas of involved skin are blocked from therapy
    * Squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma of the skin that is not eligible for standard therapy (e.g., cryosurgery, radiotherapy, electrodesiccation and curettage, or excision)
    * Cutaneous and subcutaneous metastasis from any solid tumor (e.g., thoracic, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary cancers or sarcomas)
* Bidimensionally measurable disease

  * No more than 2 lesions may be treated
* No single area greater than 36 cm\^2 may be treated (maximum of 25 cm\^2 tumor mass with a 1 cm margin)
* Tumor treatable by surface (non-contact) light illumination
* Skin type I-III
* No tumors of the eyelids
* Hormone receptor status:

  * Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Sex:

* Male or female

Menopausal status:

* Not specified

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

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

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
* AST/ALT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN
* No history of hepatic cirrhosis
* No hepatic disease requiring therapy

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL OR
* Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
* No renal disease requiring therapy

Cardiovascular:

* No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
* No significant congestive heart failure requiring therapy
* No peripheral vascular disease

Other:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Antinuclear antibody negative
* No sepsis
* No prior allergic or hypersensitivity reaction to paclitaxel vehicle
* No known photosensitivity diseases such as porphyria, systemic lupus erythematosus, xeroderma pigmentosum, or polymorphous light eruption
* No symptomatic collagen vascular disease
* Insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes mellitus allowed provided there are no lower extremity lesions

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
* No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 4 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy
* No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No concurrent corticosteroids

Radiotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
* More than 4 weeks since prior ultraviolet B light therapy or psoralen-ultraviolet light therapy to non-study lesions/areas
* No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics

Other:

* At least 5 days since prior warfarin
* At least 4 weeks since prior investigational drugs
* At least 4 weeks since prior local therapy to study lesions
* At least 6 months since prior photodynamic therapy
* No concurrent aspirin, aspirin-containing medications, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., ibuprofen, indomethacin, or cyclo-oxygenase \[COX\]-1 and COX-2 inhibitors)
* No other concurrent photosensitizing medications such as tetracyclines, psoralens, nalidixic acid, griseofulvin, sulfa drugs, hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, phenothiazines, or amiodarone
* No concurrent therapeutic dosages of warfarin (non-therapeutic dosages allowed)