Paclitaxel and Bortezomib in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Unresectable Malignant Solid Tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed malignant solid tumor that involves an activated Ras/Raf/MAPK pathway, including the following:

Breast cancer
Prostate cancer
Colon cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Ovarian cancer
Non-small cell lung cancer
Melanoma
Papillary thyroid cancer
Metastatic or unresectable disease
Standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective
No newly diagnosed, untreated, or uncontrolled brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

ECOG performance status 0-2
ANC ≥ 1,500/μL
WBC ≥ 3,500/μL
Platelet count ≥ 100,000/μL
Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
AST/ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN (≤ 5 times ULN for tumor involvement of the liver)
Creatinine ≤ 2 times ULN
Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
No neuropathy ≥ grade 1 with pain within the past 14 days
No active infections
No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
No NYHA class III or IV heart failure
No uncontrolled angina
No severe uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias

No evidence of acute ischemia or active conduction system abnormalities by ECG

Any ECG abnormality at screening must be documented by the investigator as not medically relevant
No hypersensitivity to bortezomib, boron, or mannitol
No serious medical or psychiatric illness likely to interfere with study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Prior paclitaxel or bortezomib allowed
At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy
More than 14 days since other prior investigational drugs
No other concurrent investigational agents
No other concurrent anticancer agents, including chemotherapy and biologic agents
No concurrent recombinant interleukin-11 (Neumega®)