Pemetrexed Disodium and Docetaxel in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of advanced or recurrent solid tumors * Patients for whom docetaxel is considered appropriate anticancer therapy; docetaxel is currently approved for use in patients with the following solid tumors: * Non-small cell lung (NSCLC) * Breast * Prostate * Esophageal * Head and neck * Ovarian * Gastric * Measurable or non-measurable disease * No squamous cell NSCLC * Controlled brain metastases allowed * Clinically stable with no signs of progression by MRI or CAT scan ≥ 60 days after treatment * Patients must be asymptomatic with no steroid requirements PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-1 * Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks * WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3\* * ANC ≥ 1,500/mm\^3\* * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Total bilirubin normal * AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphatase (AP) must meet one of the following criteria: * AST or ALT ≤ 3\*\* times upper limit of normal (ULN) AND AP normal * AST or ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN AND AP ≤ 2.5 times ULN * AST or ALT normal AND AP ≤ 5 times ULN * Calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min OR GFR measured by Tc99m-DPTA serum clearance method * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 3 months after completion of study treatment * Able to interrupt aspirin or other NSAIDs pre- and post- twice-monthly drug dosing * Able to take folic acid, vitamin B12, or corticosteroids * No uncontrolled serious active infections * No pre-existing peripheral neuropathy \> grade 1 * No significant cardiac disease (i.e., uncontrolled high blood pressure, unstable angina, congestive heart failure within the past 6 months, LVEF \< normal, myocardial infarction within the past year, or serious cardiac arrhythmias requiring medication) * No known severe hypersensitivity reaction to docetaxel or other drugs formulated in polysorbate 80 NOTE: \*No concurrent colony-stimulating factors to maintain these values NOTE: \*\*For patients with liver metastases, AST or ALT ≤ 5 times ULN AND AP normal PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * Have received 0-1 prior systemic therapy regimens (prior adjuvant chemotherapy will be considered a prior systemic therapy regimen) * At least 4 weeks since prior systemic anticancer therapy (6 weeks for mitomycin C and nitrosoureas) * At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered from the side effects to ≤ grade 1 * At least 2 weeks since prior pleurodesis * No concurrent radiotherapy