Interferon Alfa in Treating Patients With Stage IV Solid Tumors, Lymphoma, or Myeloma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed malignancy, including, but not limited to, renal cell carcinoma, melanoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, breast carcinoma, lymphoma, myeloma, or tumors of endothelial origin

Stage IV disease
Refractory to standard therapy

Measurable or evaluable disease

Evaluable disease can include clinically or radiographically nonmeasurable tumor or specific tumor markers

Patients with prior solitary CNS metastasis allowed

Must have had prior definitive therapy ≥ 3 months previously
No requirement for glucocorticoids unless for physiologic replacement
No multiple CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

ECOG performance status 0-1
Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³
Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
Creatinine ≤ 1.3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) OR
Creatinine clearance of 60 mL/min
Bilirubin ≤ 1.3 times ULN
AST ≤ 5 times ULN
No pregnant or lactating women
Fertile women and men, unless surgically sterile, must use effective contraception
No history of serious cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrhythmia requiring treatment
No congestive heart failure
No angina pectoris
No New York Heart Association class III or IV disease
No other severe cardiovascular disease
No known seizure disorder
No known HIV or hepatitis B surface antigen positivity
No active clinical infection requiring antibiotics within the past 7 days

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

See Disease Characteristics
At least 4 months since prior interferon therapy and/or ≤ 400 million units of interferon
At least 3 weeks since prior major surgery requiring general anesthesia
At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy
Treatment with hormones or other chemotherapeutic agents may not be administered except for steroids given for preexisting adrenal failure or hormones administered for nondisease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes)
No prior organ allograft
No concurrent dexamethasone, other steroidal antiemetics, or anti-inflammatories
No concurrent palliative radiotherapy