Docetaxel and Temozolomide in Treating Patients With Metastatic Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of a nonhematologic malignancy that is refractory to standard therapy OR for which no standard therapy is available
* Measurable (by CT scan) or evaluable disease

  * If palliative radiotherapy has been administered, the measurable disease must be outside the radiation port
* Prior brain metastasis allowed provided it was definitely treated with external-beam radiotherapy, gamma knife, or surgical resection and is clinically stable

  * Repeat MRI or CT scans must demonstrate stabilization of disease 4 weeks after the definitive therapy is completed AND there must be no requirement for dexamethasone
* No active CNS metastasis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Life expectancy ≥ 4 months
* Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL (epoetin alfa and/or transfusions allowed)
* Creatinine ≤ 2 mg/dL
* Bilirubin normal
* PT normal, unless the patient is on warfarin for prior deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolus, requiring INR maintained at 2.0 - 3.0
* Sodium and potassium normal
* AST and ALT ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* No decompensated cardiac arrhythmia or other severe cardiovascular disease (i.e., New York Heart Association \[NYHA\] class III-IV heart disease)

  * Patients with clinically stable NYHA class III or IV heart disease require cardiac clearance
* No peripheral neuropathy \> grade 1
* No infection requiring IV antibiotics within the past 14 days
* No history of severe hypersensitivity reaction to docetaxel or other drugs formulated with polysorbate 80
* No HIV positivity
* No hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis C antibody positivity
* No pulmonary embolus within the past 3 weeks
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use 2 methods of effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No more than 3 courses of prior immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy for metastatic disease

  * Interferon alfa in the adjuvant setting is not considered a course of prior therapy

    * Patients who relapse on adjuvant interferon alfa must be off therapy for ≥ 3 weeks
* No prior stem cell or organ transplantation
* More than 21 days since prior immunotherapy or chemotherapy
* At least 21 days since prior hormonal therapy (except luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone \[LHRH\] agonists) or radiotherapy and recovered
* More than 21 days since prior surgery requiring general anesthesia
* No concurrent radiotherapy
* Concurrent LHRH agonist therapy allowed
* Concurrent physiologic replacement steroids allowed
* No other concurrent chemotherapy or thalidomide
* No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF) during study chemotherapy