Akt Inhibitor MK2206 in Treating Patients With Advanced Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal (GE) junction that has progressed after first-line treatment, or is recurrent within 6 months after receiving adjuvant therapy; patients must have had exactly one prior systemic treatment regimen; previous adjuvant (chemotherapy [chemo]) radiotherapy is permitted; prior chemotherapy given concurrently with radiation for radiosensitization is not considered one prior systemic regimen
• Patients must have measurable disease; computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) used to assess measurable disease must have been completed within 28 days prior to registration; CT scans or MRIs used to assess non-measurable disease must have been completed within 42 days prior to registration; all disease must be assessed and documented on the Baseline Tumor Assessment Form (RECIST 1.1)
• Patients must not have known brain metastases
• Patients must not have received chemotherapy or radiotherapy within 3 weeks (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) prior to registration
• Patient must not have received prior treatment with a phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3), v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (AKT) or mechanistic target of rapamycin (Mtor) inhibitor for any reason
• All toxicities from prior therapy must have resolved to = = 9 g/dL
• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >= 1,500/mcL
• Platelets >= 100,000/mcL
• Total bilirubin = 50 ml/min; the serum creatinine value used in the calculation must have been obtained within 14 days prior to registration
• Patients must have international normalized ratio (INR) = = 2 weeks prior to beginning protocol therapy
• Patient must not have 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
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are ineligible
• Patient must not be pregnant or nursing; women/men of reproductive potential must have agreed to use two forms of contraception for the duration of protocol treatment and for one month after discontinuation of MK-2206; a woman is considered to be of "reproductive potential" if she has had menses at any time in the preceding 12 consecutive months; in addition to routine contraceptive methods, "effective contraception" also includes heterosexual celibacy and surgery intended to prevent pregnancy (or with a side effect of pregnancy prevention) defined as a hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy or bilateral tubal ligation; however, if at any time a previously celibate patient chooses to become heterosexually active during the time period for use of contraceptive measures outlined in the protocol, he/she is responsible for beginning contraceptive measures
• No other prior malignancy is allowed except for the following: adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer, adequately treated stage I or II cancer from which the patient is currently in complete remission, or any other cancer from which the patient has been disease free for five years
• All patients must be informed of the investigational nature of this study and must sign and give written informed consent in accordance with institutional and federal guidelines