Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid in Treating Patients With Advanced Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * One of the following diagnoses: * Histologically confirmed advanced primary or metastatic solid tumor, including, but not limited to, the following: * Androgen-independent prostate cancer * Breast cancer * Ovarian cancer * Head and neck cancer * Non-small cell lung cancer * Bladder cancer * Kidney cancer * Diagnosis of lymphoma, multiple myeloma, leukemia, or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), including, but not limited to, the following: * Intermediate-grade or follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma * Hodgkin's lymphoma * Patients with lymphoma or multiple myeloma must be ineligible for peripheral blood stem cell transplantation * For patients with solid tumors (except prostate cancer): * Disease progression based on development of new lesions or an increase in pre-existing lesions * Biochemical marker increase must not be sole criterion for disease progression * For prostate cancer patients only: * Disease progression based on rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values, transaxial imaging, or radionuclide scans * Increase in disease-related symptoms must not be sole manifestation of progression * Patients receiving an antiandrogen as part of first-line hormonal therapy must show disease progression off of the antiandrogen prior to study * Biochemical progression (at least 25% increase over range of values) defined as 1 of the following: * Rising PSA documented by at least 3 consecutive mea…