Aurora Kinase Inhibitor AT9283 in Treating Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors or Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following:

  * Advanced and/or metastatic solid tumor
  * Advanced or metastatic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma refractory to standard therapy
* Clinically or radiologically documented disease

  * No tumor marker elevation as only evidence of disease
* No untreated brain or meningeal metastases

  * Treated and stable brain metastases allowed provided they are asymptomatic and do not require steroids

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Creatinine ≤ 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN) OR creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
* Bilirubin normal
* ALT and AST ≤ 2 times ULN (≤5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use two effective methods of contraception
* No untreated or uncontrolled hypertension, cardiovascular conditions, or symptomatic cardiac dysfunction
* No active or uncontrolled infections
* No serious illness or medical condition that would preclude study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery and recovered
* At least 3 weeks since prior palliative radiotherapy and recovered

  * Low-dose, nonmyelosuppressive radiotherapy may be allowed
* At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy for solid tumors and recovered

  * No more than 2 prior cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease
* At least 4 weeks since prior steroids
* No limitations on prior therapy for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
* Prior hormonal, immunologic, biologic or signal transduction inhibitor therapy allowed
* No other concurrent investigational agents
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy