Gamma-Secretase Inhibitor RO4929097 and Cediranib Maleate in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

Dose-escalation cohorts: Patients must have histologically and/or cytologically confirmed solid malignancy that is metastatic or unresectable and for which standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective; expansion cohort: patients must have histologically and/or cytologically confirmed breast cancer, malignant melanoma, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, high grade glioma, non-small-cell lung cancer, or ovarian cancer

Patients must have measurable or non-measurable disease; measurable disease is defined as at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded) as \> 20 mm with conventional techniques or as \> 10 mm with spiral computed tomography (CT) scan; measurable disease is not required to participate in this trial

No limitation on prior therapy; however, there must be at least a 4 week interval between initiation of study treatment and any prior radiotherapy or systemic therapy, 6 weeks if the last regimen included carmustine (BCNU) or mitomycin C; exceptions may be made however, for low dose, non-myelosuppressive radiotherapy for symptomatic palliation; please contact the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) Phase I Consortium Central Office coordinator or the Principal Investigator if any questions arise about interpretation of this criterion

Life expectancy of greater than 12 weeks

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 1 (Karnofsky \>= 70%)

Leukocytes \>= 3.0 x 10\^9/L

Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1.5 x 10\^9/L

Platelets \>= 100 x 10\^9/L

Hemoglobin \>= 90 g/L (or \>= 9 g/dL)

International normalized ratio (INR) =\< 1.3

Total bilirubin normal =\< institutional upper limit of normal

Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) \< 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal

Serum creatinine \< institutional upper limit of normal OR creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \>= 50% by echocardiogram (ECHO)/multi gated acquisition scan (MUGA)

Urine dipstick for protein of less than +1; for +1 or greater than +1 proteinuria on 2 consecutive dipsticks taken no longer than 1 week apart, 24-hour urine for protein is necessary and should be \< 1 g/24 hours

Patients must be able to swallow medication

If women of childbearing potential do not abstain\* from sexual activity they must use two forms of contraception (i.e., barrier contraception and one other method of contraception) at least 4 weeks prior to study entry; women of childbearing potential can either be abstinent or use two forms of contraception for the duration of study participation and for at least 12 months post-treatment; men must use condoms when sexually active with women for the duration of study participation and at least 12 months post-treatment; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner are participating in this study and for 12 months after study participation, the patient should inform the treating physician immediately

* Abstinent from sexual activity at least 4 weeks prior to study entry

* Women of childbearing potential are required to have a negative serum pregnancy test (with a sensitivity of at least 25 mIU/mL) within 10-14 days and within 24 hours prior to the first dose of RO4929097 (serum or urine); a pregnancy test (serum or urine) will be administered every 3 weeks if their menstrual cycles are regular or every 2 weeks if their cycles are irregular while on study within the 24-hour period prior to the administration of RO4929097 and /or cediranib; a positive urine test must be confirmed by a serum pregnancy test; prior to dispensing RO4929097 and /or cediranib, the investigator must confirm and document the patient's use of two contraceptive methods or abstinence, dates of negative pregnancy test, and confirm the patient's understanding of the teratogenic potential of RO4929097 and cediranib

* Female patients of childbearing potential are defined as follows:

* Patients with regular menses

* Patients, after menarche with amenorrhea, irregular cycles, or using a contraceptive method that precludes withdrawal bleeding

* Women who have had tubal ligation

* Female patients may be considered to NOT be of childbearing potential for the following reasons:

* The patient has undergone total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy or bilateral oophorectomy

* The patient is medically confirmed to be menopausal (no menstrual period) for 24 consecutive months

* Pre-pubertal females; the parent or guardian of young female patients who have not yet started menstruation should verify that menstruation has not begun; if a young female patient reaches menarche during the study, then she is to be considered as a woman of childbearing potential from that time forward

Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

Archival tissue availability with consent for pharmacodynamic analysis is highly preferred but NOT an inclusion criterion

* History of symptomatic cardiac dysfunction within the last 12 months including unstable angina, congestive heart failure (class III or IV heart failure as defined by the New York Heart Association \[NYHA\] functional classification system, myocardial infarction, cardiac angioplasty or stenting or bypass; patients with a significant cardiac history, even if controlled, should have a LVEF of \>= 50% by ECHO or MUGA prior to study entry

Patients previously treated with anthracyclines are eligible as long as their ejection fraction is \> 50% by ECHO or MUGA prior to study entry

What this study is about