Epirubicin Plus Irinotecan in Treating Patients With Advanced Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically documented incurable malignancy for which there is no beneficial standard therapy

  • Locally unresectable or metastatic disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• At least 8 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 3,000/mm^3
• Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2 times ULN

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

• Ejection fraction at least 50% by MUGA scan
• No congestive heart failure

Other:

• Maintaining a reasonable state of nutrition
• No frequent vomiting or severe anorexia
• No weight loss greater than 10% of current body weight within the past 4 weeks
• No other concurrent medical illness that would preclude study
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy:

• Prior doxorubicin allowed if cumulative dose no greater than 240 mg/m2

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• Recovered from prior therapy