Aurora Kinase Inhibitor AT9283 in Treating Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors or Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the maximum tolerated dose and recommended phase II dose of Aurora kinase inhibitor AT9283 (AT9283) in patients with incurable advanced or metastatic solid tumors or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. * Determine the safety, tolerability, toxicity profile, dose-limiting toxicity, and pharmacokinetic profile of this drug in these patients. * Correlate the toxicity profile with the pharmacokinetics of this drug in these patients. * Assess, preliminarily, evidence of antitumor activity of this drug in these patients. * Determine the pharmacodynamic activity of this drug in these patients and correlate with biological endpoints. OUTLINE: This is an open-label, dose-escalation, multicenter study. Patients receive Aurora kinase inhibitor AT9283 (AT9283) IV over 24 hours on days 1 and 8 . Treatment repeats every 3 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of AT9283 until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose at which at least 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. The dose preceding the MTD is the recommended phase II dose (RPTD). Up to 8 additional patients are treated at the RPTD. Patients treated at the RPTD undergo skin and tumor tissue biopsy and blood collection at baseline and on days 2 and/or 3. Samples are examined by pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analysis, including immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, western blotting, immunoenzyme techniques, flow cytometry, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, for biological markers. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed at 4 weeks and then every 3 months until disease progression. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Up to 30 patients will be accrued for this study.