Fenretinide Lym-X-Sorb™ in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Resistant Solid Tumors or Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed (by the NIH pathology department) diagnosis of 1 of the following:

  * Solid tumor malignancy that is metastatic or unresectable
  * Lymphoma for which standard treatment or curative measures do not exist, or are associated with minimal patient survival benefit
* Recurrent and/or resistant disease
* Measurable or evaluable disease
* No known brain metastases

  * Patients whose brain metastatic disease status has remained stable for ≥ 3 months after treatment may be eligible at the discretion of the principal investigator (without steroids or anti-seizure medications)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 OR Karnofsky PS 60-100%
* Life expectancy ≥ 3 months
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/µL
* Platelets ≥ 100,000/µL (CTCAE v.3 grade 1 thrombocytopenia allowed if explained by involvement of the bone marrow by lymphoma)
* Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times normal institutional limits (2.5 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
* AST (SGOT)/ALT (SGPT) ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Creatinine \< 1.5 times ULN OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use two methods of birth control, including at least one highly effective method (e.g., intrauterine device \[IUD\], hormonal birth control pills/injections/implants, tubal ligation or partner's vasectomy), and one additional effective method (e.g., latex condoms, diaphragm, or cervical cap), prior to, during, and for 2 months after completion of study treatment

  * Men must use a latex condom every time they have sexual intercourse during therapy and for 2 months after discontinuing fenretinide, even if they have had a successful vasectomy
* No clinically significant illnesses which could compromise participation in the study, including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Active or uncontrolled infection
  * Immune deficiencies or confirmed diagnosis of HIV infection
  * Uncontrolled diabetes
  * Uncontrolled hypertension
  * Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  * Unstable angina pectoris
  * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  * Uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia
  * Psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
* No known wheat gluten allergy or allergy or sensitivity to the study drug
* No history of pancreatitis as evidenced by elevated amylase or lipase ≥ grade 2 and accompanied by symptoms of pancreatitis (e.g., abdominal pain)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* Recovered from adverse events and/or toxicity due to prior chemotherapy or biologic therapy
* No chemotherapy or biologic therapy within 4 weeks prior to entering the study (6 weeks for nitrosoureas, mitomycin C, or UCN-01)
* At least 1 month since any prior radiotherapy or major surgery
* At least 2 weeks since any prior administration of study drug in an exploratory IND/phase 0 study
* Patients receiving bisphosphonates for any cancer or undergoing androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer are eligible for this therapy
* No concurrent sulfonamides
* No other concurrent investigational agents
* No other concurrent cancer chemotherapy, or immunomodulating agents (including systemic corticosteroids)
* Patients must not take any drugs suspected of causing pseudo tumor cerebri, including any of the following:

  * Tetracycline
  * Nalidixic acid
  * Nitrofurantoin
  * Phenytoin
  * Sulfonamides
  * Lithium
  * Amiodarone
  * Vitamin A (except as part of routine total parenteral nutrition vitamin supplements or in a single daily standard dose oral multivitamin supplement)
* No concurrent herbal supplements or other alternative therapy medications