Edotecarin and Cisplatin in Treating Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of one of the following:

  * Histologically or cytologically confirmed active solid tumor malignancy
  * Histologically confirmed esophageal or gastric cancer\* meeting all the following criteria:

    * Previously untreated disease
    * Metastatic disease
    * Measurable disease

      * At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion at least 20 mm by conventional techniques OR 10 mm by spiral CT scan NOTE: \*Patients with esophageal or gastric cancer are enrolled after the maximum tolerated dose has been determined
* No known brain or leptomeningeal disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

* Not specified

Hematopoietic

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL

Hepatic

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (regardless of liver involvement by tumor)
* SGOT no greater than 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if there is liver involvement by tumor)
* Albumin at least 3.0 g/dL

Renal

* Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

* None of the following within the past 12 months:

  * Myocardial infarction
  * Severe/unstable angina
  * Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  * Cerebrovascular accident
  * Transient ischemic attack
  * Deep vein thrombosis
  * Other significant thromboembolic event
* No ongoing grade 2 or greater cardiac dysrhythmia
* No atrial fibrillation

Pulmonary

* No pulmonary embolism within the past 12 months

Gastrointestinal

* No active inflammatory bowel disease
* No partial or complete bowel obstruction
* No chronic diarrhea

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* HIV negative
* No grade 2 or greater acute toxic effects
* No active infection
* No other concurrent acute or chronic medical or psychiatric condition or laboratory abnormality that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* No prior treatment with any of the following systemic therapies for metastatic cancer\*:

  * Antibody therapy
  * Immunotherapy
  * Gene therapy
  * Vaccine therapy
  * Cytokine therapy
  * Inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor/Flk-1 pathway
* No concurrent sargramostim (GM-CSF)
* No concurrent antibody therapy or immunotherapy NOTE: \*Patients with esophageal or gastric cancer only

Chemotherapy

* No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease\*
* No prior high-dose chemotherapy requiring hematopoietic stem cell rescue
* No other concurrent chemotherapy NOTE: \*No prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease for patients with esophageal or gastric cancer

Endocrine therapy

* No concurrent hormonal treatment

Radiotherapy

* No prior radiotherapy to more than 25% of bone marrow reserve
* No prior radiotherapy to the sole measurable lesion\*
* No concurrent radiotherapy NOTE: \*Patients with esophageal or gastric cancer only

Surgery

* More than 12 months since prior coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft surgery

Other

* Recovered from prior therapy
* More than 6 months since last dose of prior adjuvant therapy\*
* No prior treatment with any of the following systemic therapies for metastatic cancer\*:

  * Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors
  * Matrix metalloprotease inhibitors
  * Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors
  * Other experimental agents
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy
* No concurrent enrollment in another clinical trial
* No other concurrent experimental drugs NOTE: \*Patients with esophageal or gastric cancer only