Gamma-Secretase/Notch Signalling Pathway Inhibitor RO4929097 and Temsirolimus in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

Inclusion criteria

* Meets one of the following sets of criteria: * Dose-escalation group: * Histologically and/or cytologically confirmed solid malignancy * Metastatic or unresectable disease * Disease for which standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective * Expansion group: * Histologically and/or cytologically confirmed endometrial (endometrioid, uterine papillary serious carcinoma, or carcinosarcoma) or renal cell cancer * Metastatic or unresectable disease * Disease for which standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective * Measurable or non-measurable disease * Measurable disease is defined as ≥ 1 lesion that can be accurately measured in ≥ 1 dimension (longest diameter to be recorded) as ≥ 20 mm with conventional techniques or as ≥ 10 mm with spiral CT scan * No known brain metastases * ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 (Karnofsky PS 70-100%) * Life expectancy \> 12 weeks * Leukocytes ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * ANC ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 90 g/L (or ≥ 9 g/dL) * Total bilirubin normal * AST/ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal * Serum creatinine normal OR creatine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min * Fasting cholesterol ≤ 350 mg/dL (9.0 mmol/L) * Fasting triglycerides ≤ 400 mg/dL (4.56 mmol/L) * No uncontrolled hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, hyponatremia, hypophosphatemia or hypokalemia defined as less than the lower limit of normal for the institution, despite adequate electrolyte supplementation * Note: it is acceptable to use corrected calcium when interpreting calcium levels * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use two effective forms of contraception (i.e., barrier contraception and one other method of contraception) for ≥ 4 weeks before, during, and for ≥ 12 months after completion of study therapy * Able to swallow medication * No malabsorption syndrome or other condition that would interfere with intestinal absorption * No diarrhea ≥ grade 2 that is not under control with standard anti-diarrhea medications * No uncontrolled concurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the following: * Ongoing or active infection * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Unstable anginal pectoris * Cardiac arrhythmia other than chronic, stable atrial fibrillation * Psychiatric illness or social situations that would limit compliance with study medications * QTc ≤ 450 msec in males and a QTc ≤ 470 msec in females, as measured by ECG using Bazett formula * No history of risk factors for QT interval prolongation including, but not limited to, a family or personal history of any of the following: * Long QT syndrome * Torsades de pointes * Recurrent syncope without known etiology * Sudden unexpected death * No pre-existing significant pulmonary infiltrates of unknown origin * No serologic positivity for hepatitis A, B, or C or history of liver disease or other forms of hepatitis or cirrhosis * No HIV-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy * No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to gamma-secretase inhibitor RO4929097 or temsirolimus * Female patients may not donate ova during or after study treatment * Male patients may not donate sperm during and for ≥ 12 months after completion of study treatment * Patients may not donate blood during and for ≥ 12 months after completion of study treatment * Any number of prior therapies allowed * Recovered from side effects of previous systemic anticancer therapy to \< CTCAE grade 2 toxicity (except alopecia) * Concurrent leuteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist allowed in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer * No prior gamma-secretase inhibitor or any inhibitor of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy or systemic therapy (6 weeks for carmustine, nitrosoureas, or mitomycin C) * Exceptions may be made for low-dose, non-myelosuppressive radiotherapy for symptomatic palliation * No other concurrent investigational agents * No concurrent medications with narrow therapeutic indices that are metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP450), including warfarin sodium (Coumadin®) * No concurrent medications that are strong inducers, inhibitors, or substrates of CYP3A4 * No antiarrhythmics or other concurrent medications with known potential to prolong QT interval * No concurrent food that may interfere with the metabolism of gamma-secretase inhibitor RO4929097, including grapefruit or grapefruit juice * No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies