Everolimus in Treating Patients With Lymphoma That Has Relapsed or Not Responded to Previous Treatment

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Biopsy-proven\* relapsed or refractory lymphoma, including the following:

  * Aggressive lymphoma (closed to accrual as of 2/7/08 except for diffuse large B cell lymphoma, grade III follicular lymphoma, or transformed lymphoma)

    * Transformed lymphoma
    * Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
    * Mantle cell lymphoma
    * Grade 3 follicular lymphoma
    * Precursor B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma
    * Mediastinal (thymic) large B-cell lymphoma
    * Burkitt's lymphoma/leukemia
    * Precursor T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma
    * Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma
    * Primary systemic type anaplastic large cell lymphoma
  * Indolent lymphoma (closed to accrual as of 8/18/08)

    * Small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia
    * Grade 1 or 2 follicular lymphoma
    * Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of MALT type
    * Nodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma
    * Splenic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma
  * Uncommon lymphoma (closed to accrual as of 9/2/08)

    * Unspecified peripheral T-cell lymphoma
    * Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (T and null cell type)
    * Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia)
    * Central Nervous System (CNS) lymphoma
    * Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder
    * Mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome
    * Hodgkin's lymphoma
    * Primary effusion lymphoma
    * Blastic Natural Killer(NK)-cell lymphoma
    * Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma
    * Nasal type extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma
    * Enteropathy type T-cell lymphoma
    * Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma
    * Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma
    * Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma

NOTE: \*Biopsies performed \< 6 months prior to study entry are allowed; biopsy-proven CNS lymphoma (at any time) does not require a re-biopsy in order to be eligible for this study

* Previously treated disease

  * Patients with aggressive lymphoma (closed to accrual as of 8/24/07) OR Hodgkin's lymphoma must have received or be ineligible for potentially curative therapy, including stem cell transplantation
* Measurable disease\*\* by CT scan or MRI, defined by 1 of the following:

  * At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion \> 2 cm in diameter

    * Skin lesions may be used if they meet this criterion and are photographed with a ruler
  * More than 5,000/mm³ tumor cells in the blood

NOTE: \*\*For patients with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma without measurable lymphadenopathy, measurable disease may be defined by bone marrow lymphoplasmacytosis with \> 10% lymphoplasmacytic cells or aggregates, sheets, lymphocytes, plasma cells, or lymphoplasmacytic cells on bone marrow biopsy AND quantitative Immunoglobulin M(IgM) monoclonal protein \> 1,000 mg/dL

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG) performance status 0-2
* Life expectancy \> 3 months
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm³
* Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL
* Total bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) OR direct bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* aspartate aminotransferase(AST) ≤ 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver involvement is present)
* Creatinine ≤ 2 times ULN
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Willing to provide blood samples and portion of bone marrow aspirate and biopsy during study participation
* Able to swallow intact study medication tablets
* No other life-threatening illness (unrelated to tumor)
* No serious non-malignant disease (e.g., active infection or other condition) that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude study participation
* No other active malignancy requiring treatment or that would preclude study participation
* No known HIV positivity

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 3 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy or biologic therapy (unless the patient has recovered from the nadir of the previous treatment)
* More than 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy (unless the acute side effects associated with therapy are resolved)
* Concurrent stable (i.e., not increased within the past month) chronic doses of corticosteroids, with a maximum dose of 20 mg of prednisone per day, is allowed if prescribed for disorders other than lymphoma (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, adrenal insufficiency, or asthma)

  * Non-escalating doses of steroids at the lowest possible dosing level are allowed for CNS lymphoma
* No other concurrent investigational ancillary therapy
* No other concurrent chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiotherapy
* No concurrent participation in any other clinical trial involving a pharmacologic agent (e.g., drugs, biologics, immunotherapy, or gene therapy) for symptom control or therapeutic intent