PR-104 and Docetaxel or Gemcitabine in Treating Patients With Solid Tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed solid tumor malignancy
* Treatment with either docetaxel or gemcitabine hydrochloride in combination with an investigational agent is reasonable
* Measurable or evaluable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status of 0-1
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL (red blood cell transfusion allowed)
* Bilirubin normal
* ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* PT/INR or aPTT ≤ 1.1 times ULN
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 30 days after completion of study therapy
* No evidence of any other significant medical disorder, including uncontrolled infection or infection requiring a concurrent parenteral antibiotic, or laboratory finding that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude study compliance
* No known HIV positivity
* No hepatitis B surface antigen positivity
* No hepatitis C positivity with abnormal liver function test

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior radiotherapy to \> 25% of bone marrow
* No prior high-dose chemotherapy (including conditioning for either myeloablative or nonmyeloablative transplantation)
* No more than 3 prior chemotherapy regimens
* More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery
* More than 4 weeks since prior investigational or traditional anticancer therapy (including radiotherapy) (6 weeks for nitrosoureas and mitomycin C)
* The following medications/treatments are not permitted during the trial:

  * Any other licensed or investigational anticancer treatment
  * Prophylactic hematopoietic growth factors
  * Irradiation therapy (palliative or therapeutic) unless given in the absence of tumor progression
* Concurrent systemic steroids allowed provided the patient is on a stable dose for ≥ 2 weeks prior to study treatment
* Concurrent androgen-deprivation therapy allowed