CCI-779 in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Refractory B-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma or Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

You may be eligible if

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including the following subtypes:
• * Aggressive B-cell lymphoma (Group A)
• * Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
• * Transformed lymphoma
• * Follicular lymphoma (Group B)
• * Small lymphocytic lymphoma
• * Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (Group C)
• * Other B-cell small lymphocytic disorders
• No mantle cell lymphoma
• No potentially curative treatment options because of lack of response, relapse, or ineligibility
• Relapsed or refractory disease
• Patients with refractory disease (i.e., less than a partial response to the last treatment) must have received no more than 3 prior regimens (group A)
• Patients with sensitive disease (i.e., at least a partial response to the last treatment) must have received no more than 4 prior regimens (group A)
• Patients who have failed prior autologous transplantation are eligible (group A)
• * No more than 5 prior regimens (groups B and C)
• * The salvage regimen, conditioning regimen, and any maintenance therapy are considered 1 regimen
• Prior rituximab or alemtuzumab is not considered prior therapy
• No limitation to the amount of prior radiotherapy
• No CNS involvement
• Performance status: ECOG 0-2 OR Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy more than 3 months
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No prior allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to CCI-779
• No ongoing or active infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other active malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix Completed therapy and considered \< 30% risk of relapse
• No other concurrent uncontrolled illness
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No concurrent prophylactic hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors
• No concurrent pegfilgrastim
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No concurrent unconventional therapies, food, or vitamin supplements containing Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
• No other concurrent known inducers of CYP3A4
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• Measurable disease\*
• * At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion \>= 20 mm by conventional techniques OR \>= 10 mm by spiral CT scan \[Note: \*Only bone marrow or peripheral blood involvement required for CLL and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia \]
• Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,000/mm3
• Bilirubin =\< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT =\< 2.5 times ULN
• Creatinine =\< 1.5 times ULN
• Fasting cholesterol =\< 350 mg/dL
• Fasting triglycerides =\< 400 mg/dL
• Platelet count \>= 50, 000/mm3 (\> 20,000/mm3 for patients with thrombocytopenia due to bone marrow involvement)