PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Over 18 Performance status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy: At least 2 months Hematopoietic: WBC greater than 2,000 Platelets greater than 100,000 Hct at least 28% Hepatic: Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dl Renal: Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dl Cardiovascular: No major cardiovascular problems Pulmonary: No major pulmonary problems Other: Seronegative for HTLV/HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B and C No concurrent systemic infection Ability to maintain proper nutrition (orally or intravenously) during the study period required No pregnant women