PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC greater than 4,000/mm3 Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL Transaminases (SGOT/SGPT) less than 2.5 times upper limit of normal Renal: Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL OR Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min Cardiovascular: No unstable cardiac rhythm Other: No active infection requiring antibiotics No concurrent medical condition that makes participation in this study medically unsafe No other prior malignancy in the last 2 years except basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or metachronous/synchronous epidermoid/squamous cell cancers of the head and neck Not pregnant or nursing Effective contraception required of all fertile patients