OBJECTIVES: * Determine the maximum tolerated dose of gefitinib when administered with docetaxel in patients with advanced solid tumors. * Determine the safety and efficacy of this regimen in these patients. * Determine the pharmacokinetics of this regimen in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study of gefitinib. Patients receive oral gefitinib once daily on days 1 and 2 and docetaxel IV over 1 hour on day 3. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of gefitinib until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Patients are followed for survival. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 3-42 patients will be accrued for this study.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed advanced solid tumor * Failed standard treatment OR no standard treatment exists * Measurable or evaluable indicator lesions * No uncontrolled CNS metastases (i.e., any known CNS lesion that is progressive \[e.g., ≥ 25% growth\], symptomatic, and/or requires escalating doses of corticosteroids) PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * Karnofsky 70-100% Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * AST ≤ 2.0 times ULN Renal * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR * Creatinine clearance ≥ 55 mL/min Cardiovascular * No congestive heart failure * No recent myocardial infarction * No unstable angina * No uncontrolled hypertension Pulmonary * No clinically active interstitial lung disease * Chronic, stable, asymptomatic radiographic changes allowed Ophthalmic * No corneal abnormality * No history of dry eye syndrome or ocular surface diseases Other * No known severe hypersensitivity to gefitinib or any of its excipients * No unstable systemic disease * No active infection * No other significant medical history or unstable medical condition * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No sperm donation during and for 3 months after study participation PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * Not specified Chemotherapy * At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy * No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens for metastatic cancer * No prior docetaxel Endocrine therapy * See Disease Characteristics Radiotherapy * At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy to a major bone marrow-containing area Surgery * Not specified Other * No prior gefitinib or erlotinib * No other prior epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors * More than 30 days since prior non-approved or other investigational drugs * No concurrent administration of any of the following CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers: * Ketoconazole * Itraconazole * Clarithromycin * Erythromycin * Grapefruit juice * Troleandomycin * Diltiazem * Verapamil * Rifampin * Phenytoin * Carbamazepine * Barbiturates * Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) * No concurrent warfarin * No concurrent drugs that cause significant sustained elevations of gastric pH (pH ≥ 5)