Liposomal Amphotericin B in Treating Granulocytopenia and Persistent Unexplained Fever in Cancer Patients

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Hematologic malignancy or solid tumor * Must be undergoing remission induction and/or consolidation therapy for hematologic malignancy only OR * Must be undergoing allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation * Granulocyte count less than 500/mm\^3 and profound granulocytopenia expected to last for greater than 5 days * Fever (greater than 38.5 degrees C) refractory for greater than 72 hours and less than 84 hours to broad spectrum antimicrobials, after exclusion of current bacterial, fungal, viral, parasitic, and mycobacterial infections * Peripheral blood cultures and central venous catheter cultures negative for infections * No microbiological documentation of a bacterial infection (e.g., abscess at catheter site) * No invasive fungal infection * No probable noninfectious cause of fever PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * Not specified Performance status: * Karnofsky 40-100% OR * WHO 0-2 Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * See Disease Characteristics Hepatic: * Not specified Renal: * Not specified Other: * No prior anaphylactic reaction to amphotericin B * No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical conditions that would prevent compliance * Not pregnant or nursing * Normal chest X-ray or normal high resolution CT scan of the lungs PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * See Disease Characteristics Chemotherapy: * See Disease Characteristics Endocrine therapy: * Not specified Radiother…