DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed malignancy Malignant lymphoma - Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma Intermediate and high grade (aggressive) histology with primary refractory disease or relapsed following standard therapy - Hodgkin's disease Relapsed or refractory after 2 regimens of curative therapy - No CNS disease that has not responded to standard therapy prior to bone marrow transplantation Breast cancer Stage IV disease, refractory, or relapsed after doxorubicin based first line therapy Ovarian cancer Primary refractory disease or relapsed after first line chemotherapy Testicular cancer Relapsed or refractory disease after 2 regimens of chemotherapy Other malignancies Recurrent or refractory to standard chemotherapy regimens, but with documented responses to a minimum of 2 courses of a docetaxel based chemotherapy Must not be greater than 60 days past completion of adjuvant or induction therapy Prior history of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tumor involvement without symptoms or signs allowed provided the CSF is now free of disease on lumbar puncture and CT scan of the brain No active leptomeningeal involvement or brain metastases No severe symptomatic CNS disease Hormone receptor status: Not specified