Bortezomib and Pemetrexed Disodium in Treating Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer or Other Solid Tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Cytologically or histologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following:

  * Advanced solid tumor that progressed after standard therapy or for which no effective curative therapy exists (phase I)
  * Stage IIIB (pleural effusion) or IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (phase II)

    * Disease must have progressed or recurred after 1 platinum-based therapy regimen
    * NSCLC that has progressed or recurred after first-line therapy for stage IIIA or IIIB disease allowed
* Measurable disease

  * Disease in previously irradiated sites is considered measurable if there is clear disease progression following radiotherapy
  * Evaluable disease (bone metastases, pleural fluid, ascites) allowed (phase I)
* No symptomatic brain metastasis or disease requiring steroids and anticonvulsants

  * Asymptomatic, previously treated (surgical resection or radiotherapy) brain metastases allowed provided patient is neurologically stable and has been off steroids and anticonvulsants for ≥ 4 weeks

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Zubrod performance status 0-2 (phase I) or 0-1 (phase II)
* Life expectancy ≥ 3 months
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
* Bilirubin normal
* AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
* Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count of ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study treatment
* No pre-existing neuropathy ≥ grade 2
* No other prior malignancy except for the following (phase II):

  * Adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
  * In situ cervical cancer
  * Adequately treated stage I or II cancer currently in complete remission
  * Any other cancer from which the patient has been disease free for \> 5 years
* No hypersensitivity to bortezomib, boron, or mannitol
* No cardiovascular complications, including any of the following:

  * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  * New York Heart Association class III-IV heart failure
  * Uncontrolled angina
  * Severe uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias
  * Electrocardiographic (ECG) evidence of acute ischemia or active conduction system abnormalities

    * Any ECG abnormality at screening must be documented as not medically relevant

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior bortezomib or pemetrexed disodium
* Any number of prior chemotherapy regimens allowed (phase I)
* More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin C) and recovered
* More than 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
* No nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or salicylates 2 days prior and 2 days after (5 days pre and post for long-acting NSAIDs) administration of pemetrexed disodium
* No concurrent anticonvulsants that are metabolized by the cytochrome P450 pathway