AFP464 in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Refractory Solid Tumors That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

Exclusion Criteria

• •Known standard therapy for the patient's disease that is potentially curative or definitely capable of extending life expectancy
• •Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 3 or 4
• •Prior thoracic radiotherapy
• •Symptomatic pulmonary disease
• •Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, seizure disorder, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• •Any of the following prior therapies:
• •* Chemotherapy =\< 4 weeks prior to study entry
• •* Mitomycin C/nitrosoureas =\< 6 weeks prior to study entry
• •* Immunotherapy =\< 4 weeks prior to study entry
• •* Biologic therapy =\< 4 weeks prior to study entry
• •* Radiation therapy =\< 4 weeks prior to study entry
• •* Radiation to \> 25% of bone marrow
• •Failure to fully recover from acute, reversible effects of prior chemotherapy regardless of interval since last treatment
• •Uncontrolled brain metastases; Note: Brain metastases are not permitted on study unless the metastases have been treated by surgery or radiotherapy, and the patient has been neurologically stable and off steroids for \>= 4 weeks
• •Any of the following:
• •* Pregnant women: Females of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test =\< 7 days prior to registration
• •* Nursing women
• •* Men or women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to employ adequate contraception (condoms, diaphragm, birth control pills, injections, intrauterine device \[IUD\], or abstinence, etc.)
• •Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately
• •History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to AFP464
• •Other concurrent chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, or any ancillary therapy considered investigational (utilized for a non-FDA-approved indication and in the context of a research investigation)
• •Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy
• •Active smokers and those who have smoked =\< 30 days prior to registration, and patients unwilling or unable to refrain completely from smoking while on study