Romidepsin in Treating Patients With Recurrent and/or Metastatic Thyroid Cancer That Has Not Responded to Radioactive Iodine

Inclusion Criteria

• •Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-medullary thyroid carcinoma, including the following cell types:
• •* Papillary
• •* Follicular
• •* Variants of papillary or follicular
• •* Hürthle cell
• •Recurrent and/or metastatic disease
• •Measurable disease
• •* At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion \>= 20 mm by conventional techniques OR \>= 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• •Progressive disease during or after prior treatment, as defined by \>= 1 of the following criteria:
• •* Presence of new or progressive lesions on CT scan or MRI
• •* New lesions on bone or positron-emission tomography scan
• •* Rising thyroglobulin level
• •* Minimum of 3 consecutive rises with an interval of \>= 1 week between each determination
• •Refractory to radioactive iodine (RAI)
• •* Absent or insufficient RAI-uptake documented by whole-body RAI scan within the past 6 months
• •* At least 1 lesion with absent RAI-uptake required for insufficient uptake
• •No known brain metastases
• •Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100%
• •WBC \>= 3,000/mm\^3
• •Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count \>= 100,00/mm\^3
• •Bilirubin normal
• •AST and ALT =\< 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• •Chronic active viral hepatitis allowed provided patient is clinically stable and fulfills liver function eligibility criteria
• •Creatinine normal
• •Creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min
• •QTc =\< 480 msec by ECG
• •ST segment depression \< 2 mm
• •LVEF \>= 50 % by echocardiogram
• •No left ventricular hypertrophy, as defined by end-diastolic wall thickness \> 12 mm in both the left ventricular posterior wall as well as septum or restrictive cardiomyopathy
• •No history of any of the following cardiac diseases:
• •* Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) class II-IV angina pectoris
• •* Myocardial infarction within the past 12 months
• •* Sustained ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, Torsade de Pointes, or cardiac arrest unless currently addressed with an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator
• •* Any cardiac arrhythmia requiring digitalis or another antiarrhythmic medication other than a beta blocker or calcium channel blocker
• •* No uncontrolled hypertension (i.e., blood pressure \>= 160/95)
• •* Mobitz II second degree block in patients who do not have a pacemaker
• •* First degree or Mobitz I second degree block, bradyarrhythmias or sick sinus syndrome require Holter monitoring and evaluation by cardiology
• •* Uncontrolled dysrhythmias
• •No history of congenital long QT syndrome
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •Thyroid stimulating hormone normal or suppressed
• •No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to FR901228
• •No ongoing or active infection
• •No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study participation
• •No other concurrent uncontrolled illness
• •At least 4 weeks since prior biologic or targeted agents (e.g., interferon alfa, thalidomide, octreotide, or cetuximab)
• •No concurrent antineoplastic biologic agents
• •No prior FR901228 (depsipeptide)
• •No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
• •* Cytotoxic chemotherapy as a radiosensitizer allowed provided \>= 3 months since prior administration
• •No other concurrent antineoplastic chemotherapy
• •Not specified
• •At least 4 weeks since prior external beam radiation therapy
• •* Documented disease progression required if patient received external beam radiotherapy to index lesions
• •At least 3 months since prior RAI therapy
• •* Diagnostic studies using =\< 12 mCi of RAI are not considered RAI therapy
• •No concurrent antineoplastic radiotherapy
• •At least 2 weeks since prior anticancer cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, isotretinoin, or complementary medications
• •At least 4 weeks since prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors (e.g., gefitinib or erlotinib)
• •No other concurrent investigational agents
• •No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• •No concurrent drugs known to have histone deacetylase inhibitor activity (e.g., valproic acid)
• •No concurrent combination anti-retroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• •No concurrent hydrochlorothiazide
• •No concurrent treatment dose warfarin
• •No concurrent agents that cause QTc prolongation
• •Concurrent daily aspirin given after myocardial infarction or COX-2 inhibitors at standard anti-inflammatory or pain doses allowed