Photodynamic Therapy in Treating Patients With Skin Cancer or Solid Tumors Metastatic to the Skin

Exclusion Criteria

• •* Cutaneous and subcutaneous metastasis from any solid tumor (e.g., thoracic, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary cancers or sarcomas)
• •Bidimensionally measurable disease
• •* No more than 2 lesions may be treated
• •No single area greater than 36 cm\^2 may be treated (maximum of 25 cm\^2 tumor mass with a 1 cm margin)
• •Tumor treatable by surface (non-contact) light illumination
• •Skin type I-III
• •No tumors of the eyelids
• •Hormone receptor status:
• •* Not specified
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 and over
• •Sex:
• •Male or female
• •Menopausal status:
• •Not specified
• •Performance status:
• •ECOG 0-2
• •Life expectancy:
• •Not specified
• •Hematopoietic:
• •Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• •Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• •AST/ALT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN
• •No history of hepatic cirrhosis
• •No hepatic disease requiring therapy
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL OR
• •Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
• •No renal disease requiring therapy
• •Cardiovascular:
• •No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• •No significant congestive heart failure requiring therapy
• •No peripheral vascular disease
• •Other:
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •Antinuclear antibody negative
• •No sepsis
• •No prior allergic or hypersensitivity reaction to paclitaxel vehicle
• •No known photosensitivity diseases such as porphyria, systemic lupus erythematosus, xeroderma pigmentosum, or polymorphous light eruption
• •No symptomatic collagen vascular disease
• •Insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes mellitus allowed provided there are no lower extremity lesions
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• •No concurrent immunotherapy
• •Chemotherapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •At least 4 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy
• •No concurrent chemotherapy
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •No concurrent corticosteroids
• •Radiotherapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• •More than 4 weeks since prior ultraviolet B light therapy or psoralen-ultraviolet light therapy to non-study lesions/areas
• •No concurrent radiotherapy
• •Surgery:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •Other:
• •At least 5 days since prior warfarin
• •At least 4 weeks since prior investigational drugs
• •At least 4 weeks since prior local therapy to study lesions
• •At least 6 months since prior photodynamic therapy
• •No concurrent aspirin, aspirin-containing medications, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., ibuprofen, indomethacin, or cyclo-oxygenase \[COX\]-1 and COX-2 inhibitors)
• •No other concurrent photosensitizing medications such as tetracyclines, psoralens, nalidixic acid, griseofulvin, sulfa drugs, hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, phenothiazines, or amiodarone
• •No concurrent therapeutic dosages of warfarin (non-therapeutic dosages allowed)