Temsirolimus in Treating Patients With Metastatic Neuroendocrine Carcinoma

OBJECTIVES: I. To assess the objective tumor response rate (i.e. partial or complete responses as defined by the RECIST criteria) in patients with progressive metastatic neuroendocrine tumours given CCI-779. II. To assess the stable disease rate and duration, time to progression, median survival time, 1-year survival rate and toxicity in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine carcinomas given CCI-779. As of 19 July 2010, overall survival follow-up is to be discontinued for the four remaining patients on long term follow-up. At that point in time, these patients had been off-treatment for 3 to 5 years. Time to progression and median survival times will be based on the currently available data. III. To measure baseline levels of various elements up- and downstream of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Where post-treatment biopsies are available, they will be analyzed for suppression of elements in the mTOR pathway as well as for any effect on cell cycle progression, apoptosis or anti-angiogenic effects. OUTLINE: This is an open-label, multicenter study. Patients receive CCI-779 IV over 30 minutes on days 1, 8, 15, and 22. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients who achieve a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) receive 2 additional courses beyond CR or PR. Patients are followed up for survival.