RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of paclitaxel in treating patients with metastatic or recurrent salivary gland cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Estimate the response rate in patients with metastatic or recurrent salivary gland cancer treated with paclitaxel (Taxol, TAX) by 3-hour infusion. II. Describe the toxicity of TAX in these patients.

OUTLINE: Single-Agent Chemotherapy. Paclitaxel (Bristol-Myers), Taxol, TAX, NSC-125973.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Up to 32 patients/histology will be entered. If no response is observed in the first 14 patients in a particular histology, accrual to that group will close; if after 18 months annual accrual is less than 10 patients/histology, accrual to that group may close.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed salivary gland carcinoma that is metastatic or recurrent, including the following types: Mucoepidermoid carcinoma Adenocarcinoma Pathology review required Measurable disease required Lesion in a previously irradiated field must be progressing and biopsy- proven

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: ECOG 0-2 Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,000/mm3 ANC at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hb at least 10 g/dL Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL Renal: Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL Cardiovascular: No MI within the past 6 months No CHF No unstable arrhythmia No current antiarrhythmic, inotropic, or antianginal medication Other: No history of allergy to Cremophor No prior malignancy within 5 years except: Curatively treated nonmelanomatous skin cancer Curatively treated in-situ cancer of the cervix No concurrent malignancy Not pregnant or nursing Effective contraception strongly advised for fertile patients Blood/body fluid analyses to determine eligibility and imaging studies and scans/x-rays for tumor measurement completed within 14 days prior to registration

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Prior biological response modifier therapy allowed Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: Prior radiotherapy allowed with recovery Surgery: Prior surgery allowed with recovery