Olaparib and Onalespib in Treating Patients With Solid Tumors That Are Metastatic or Cannot Be Removed by Surgery or Recurrent Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, Primary Peritoneal, or Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

For the dose expansion cohort, patients with ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer must have platinum resistant disease defined as progression within 6 months after last platinum regimen; platinum refractory disease is allowed

For the dose expansion cohort, patients with triple-negative breast cancer may not be BRCA1/2 germline mutation carriers

Because no dosing or adverse event data are currently available on the use of olaparib in combination with AT13387 in patients \< 18 years of age, children are excluded from this study, but will be eligible for future pediatric trials.

There must be availability of a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor specimen

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1 (Karnofsky \> 60%)

Life expectancy of greater than 12 weeks

Leukocytes \>= 3,000/mcL

Hemoglobin \>= 10 g/dL with no blood transfusion in the past 28 days

Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mcL

Platelets \>= 100,000/mcL

Total bilirubin within normal institutional limits

Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 3 x institutional upper limit of normal

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

Corrected QT using Fridericia's formula (QTcF) =\< 450 ms

Any clinically significant electrolyte imbalance, particularly hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia, should be corrected before treatment

Pre-study evaluation must include an ophthalmologic exam by an ophthalmologist (not optometrist) and should minimally include visual acuity testing, slit lamp examination, and funduscopic examination; follow up eye-exams will only be performed if subjects develop/report any visual impairment; visual impairment may include peripheral flashes (photopsia), blurred or double vision, floaters, color distortion and dimness, difficulties with light/dark accommodation, tunnel vision or other field defects, halos, apparent movement of stationary objects, and complex disturbances; follow up eye-exams will minimally include visual acuity testing, slit lamp examination, and funduscopic examination; additional testing will be based on symptoms, what is observed and ophthalmologist recommendations

For the expansion cohort only: measurable disease by RECIST v1.1 with at least one measurable target lesion

The effects of olaparib in combination with AT13387on the developing human fetus are unknown; for this reason and because olaparib and AT13387 are anti-neoplastic small molecule inhibitors, which are agents that are potentially teratogenic, women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation, and for 3 months after the last dose of study drugs; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately; men treated or enrolled on this protocol must also agree to use adequate contraception prior to the study, for the duration of study participation, and 4 months after completion of olaparib and/or AT13387 administration

Patients must be able to swallow tablets and have no significant impairment in gastrointestinal absorption

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

Patients who have had chemotherapy or radiotherapy within 4 weeks (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) prior to entering the study or those who have not recovered from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier

All acute, clinically significant treatment-related toxicity from prior therapy, except for alopecia, must have resolved to grade =\< 1

Patients who are receiving any other investigational agents

Patients with known active or history of brain metastases should be excluded from this clinical trial because of their poor prognosis and because they often develop progressive neurologic dysfunction that would confound the evaluation of neurologic and other adverse events

History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to olaparib and AT13387 used in study

Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements

Pregnant women are excluded from this study because olaparib and AT13387 are agents with the potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects; because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with AT13387 or olaparib, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with olaparib or AT13387

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are ineligible because of the potential for pharmacokinetic interactions with olaparib or AT13387; in addition, these patients are at increased risk of lethal infections when treated with marrow-suppressive therapy; appropriate studies will be undertaken in patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy when indicated

Known history of QT/corrected QT (QTc) prolongation or torsades de pointes (TdP); patients who are currently receiving treatment with medication with a known risk to prolong the QT interval or inducing torsades de pointes and the treatment cannot either be discontinued or switched to a different medication prior to starting study drugs

Participants receiving any medications or substances that are strong inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A4 or moderate inhibitors of CYP3A4 are ineligible; the study team should check a frequently-updated medical reference for a list of drugs to avoid or minimize use of; as part of the enrollment/informed consent procedures, the patient will be counseled on the risk of interactions with other agents, and what to do if new medications need to be prescribed or if the patient is considering a new over-the-counter medicine or herbal product

Participants with myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia or with features suggestive of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

What this study is about