OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the dose-limiting toxicity and maximum tolerated dose of PS-341 in patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphoma. II. Evaluate the pharmacodynamics of this drug by measuring 20S proteasome inhibition in these patients. III. Assess changes in P53 or P27, and possibly E2F-1 and cyclin E, in patients with lymphoma in response to this drug. IV. Evaluate objective tumor response to this drug in these patients. V. Evaluate the relationship between toxicity and 20S proteasome inhibition in blood and in accessible tumor tissue in these patients. VI. Evaluate response to treatment with this drug in patients with measurable or evaluable disease.