PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 to 75 Performance Status: WHO 0-2 Life Expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Leucocytes greater than 4,000/mm3 Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin within normal limits AST or ALT no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN Renal: Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min No hypercalcemia Cardiovascular: No unstable cardiac disease No congestive heart failure No angina pectoris No significant arrhythmias No prior history of myocardial infarction within 3 months Pulmonary: Lung function test with a forced expiratory volume greater than 1.2 L/sec Neurologic: No dementia No peripheral neuropathy greater than grade 1 No psychosis No seizure disorders Other: No prior or concurrent malignancies, except: Nonmelanoma skin cancer Carcinoma in situ of the cervix No active uncontrolled infection or other serious medical conditions No diabetes mellitus treated with insulin No gastric ulcers