7-Hydroxystaurosporine and Irinotecan Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Unresectable Solid Tumors or Triple Negative Breast Cancer (Currently Accruing Only Triple-negative Breast Cancer Patients Since 6/8/2007)

Inclusion Criteria:

Part I (closed to accrual as of 6/8/2007)

Histologically confirmed solid tumor that is metastatic or unresectable for which standard curative measures do not exist or are no longer effective, including the following:

Gastrointestinal tract cancer
Lung cancer
Breast cancer
Ovarian cancer
Endometrial cancer
Cervical cancer
Prostate cancer
Head and neck cancer

Patients with or without measurable or evaluable disease allowed

Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion > 20 mm by conventional techniques or ≥ 10 mm with spiral CT scan

Tumor markers allowed for evaluable disease
Positive bone scan, osteoblastic metastases, and pleural or peritoneal effusions are not considered measurable or evaluable disease
No known brain metastases

Part II

Histologically confirmed (either primary or the recurrent site) locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer not amendable to surgery

Measurable disease

For skin lesions, documentation by color photography and estimation of lesion size with a ruler are required
Must have undergone prior therapy with an anthracycline and a taxane either in the adjuvant or metastatic setting
CNS metastasis allowed provided stable disease (i.e., no evidence of local progression) ≥ 3 months after local therapy

Hormone receptor status:

Estrogen receptor negative
Progesterone receptor negative
HER-2 not amplified by fluorescence in situ hybridization
Performance status - ECOG 0-2
Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100%
More than 12 weeks
WBC at least 3,000/mm^3
Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL
Bilirubin normal
AST/ALT no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
No Gilbert's disease
No chronic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia
Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
No symptomatic cardiac dysfunction
No symptomatic pulmonary dysfunction
Oxygen saturation at least 90% by pulse oximetry on room air at rest and after walking 6 minutes
No insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
No other uncontrolled concurrent illness
No active or ongoing infection
No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study entry
No prior allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to UCN-01 or irinotecan
Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
No concurrent granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (filgrastim [G-CSF] or sargramostim [GM-CSF]) during the first course of study
See Disease Characteristics (Part II)
More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
Prior irinotecan allowed
Less than 4 prior chemotherapy regimens in the adjuvant and/or metastatic setting (Part II)
More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
Concurrent warfarin allowed
Concurrent subcutaneous heparin allowed
No other concurrent investigational agents
No concurrent anticonvulsants (e.g., carbamazepine, phenobarbital, or phenytoin)
No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients