PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: WHO 0-1 OR Karnofsky 70-100% Life expectancy: Greater than 3 months Hematopoietic: WBC at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 75,000/mm3 Hepatic: PTT normal Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2 times ULN Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN Cardiovascular: No class III or IV heart disease No hypotension, severe hypertension, or serious or uncontrolled cardiac dysrhythmia (e.g., ventricular arrhythmias) No acute myocardial infarction within the past 12 months No active uncontrolled angina pectoris No symptomatic arteriosclerotic blood vessel disease Pulmonary: No history of asthma within the past 5 years Other: No other active malignancies except localized basal or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix HIV negative No prior or active peptic or esophageal ulcer disease No history of hypersensitivity to histamine or histamine products, or severe allergies Not pregnant or nursing