VNP40101M in Treating Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die.

PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of VNP40101M in treating patients who have advanced or metastatic cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

* Determine the toxic effects of VNP40101M in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumor or lymphoma.
* Determine the maximum tolerated dose of this drug in these patients.
* Determine the pharmacokinetics of this drug in these patients.
* Determine the antitumor effects of this drug in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study.

Patients receive VNP40101M IV over 15 minutes on days 1, 8, and 15. Treatment repeats every 28 days.

Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of VNP40101M until the maximum tolerated dose is determined.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 20 patients will be accrued for this study.

Eligibility Criteria:
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed advanced or metastatic solid tumor or lymphoma for which no curative or standard effective therapy exists
* Measurable or evaluable disease
* Primary brain tumors or brain metastases allowed provided neurologic deficits are stable and do not preclude study compliance

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

* At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

* Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
* Hematocrit at least 30% (transfusion allowed)
* No bleeding diathesis

Hepatic

* PT and PTT no greater than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times ULN
* ALT and AST no greater than 1.5 times ULN (3 times ULN if liver metastases present)
* Albumin at least 2.5 gm/dL

Renal

* Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

* At least 3 months since prior myocardial infarction
* No symptomatic coronary artery disease
* No arrhythmias requiring medication
* No uncontrolled congestive heart failure

Pulmonary

* No dyspnea on minimal or moderate exertion
* DLCO and FEV1 at least 60% predicted

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No uncontrolled active bleeding (e.g., active peptic ulcer disease)
* No active infection
* HIV negative

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* Recovered from acute toxicities of prior biologic therapy (persisting, chronic toxicity allowed if stable and no greater than grade 1)

Chemotherapy

* More than 6 months since prior high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support
* More than 3 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas)
* Recovered from acute toxicities of prior chemotherapy (persisting, chronic toxicity allowed if stable and no greater than grade 1)

Endocrine therapy

* At least 2 weeks since prior hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy

* Recovered from acute toxicities of prior radiotherapy (persisting, chronic toxicity allowed if stable and no greater than grade 1)

Surgery

* At least 2 weeks since prior surgery

Other

* No other concurrent standard or investigational treatment for cancer
* No concurrent disulfiram