Saracatinib in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Stomach or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ)

  * Tumors of the GEJ must be sub-specified as type I, II, or III using the Siewert classification
* Metastatic or locally advanced disease

  * Patients with local/regional disease only, must have unresectable disease
* Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 lesion that can be accurately measured in ≥ 1 dimension (longest diameter to be recorded) as ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques or as ≥ 10 mm by spiral computed tomography (CT) scan
* No known brain metastases
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0-2 OR Karnofsky PS 60-100%
* Life expectancy \> 3 months
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Leukocytes ≥ 3,000/mm³
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Hemoglobin \> 9 g/dL
* Total bilirubin normal
* Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
* Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
* Urine protein creatinine ratio \< 1.0 OR urine protein \< 1,000 mg by 24-hour urine collection

Exclusion Criteria:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No condition that potentially impairs the ability to swallow or absorb AZD0530, including any of the following:

  * Gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in an inability to take oral medication or a requirement for IV alimentation
  * Active peptic ulcer disease
  * Short gut syndrome
  * Malabsorption syndrome of any type
  * Total or partial bowel obstruction
  * Inability to tolerate oral medications
* No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to AZD0530
* No QTc prolongation (defined as a QTc interval ≥ 460 msec) or other significant electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities
* No poorly controlled hypertension (i.e., systolic blood pressure \[BP\] ≥ 140 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mm Hg)
* No history of ischemic heart disease, including myocardial infarction
* No concurrent cardiac dysfunction including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  * Unstable angina pectoris
  * Cardiac arrhythmia
* No other concurrent uncontrolled illness, including ongoing or active infection or psychiatric illness/social situations, that would limit compliance with study requirements
* Prior chemotherapy allowed provided it was administered as part of initial curative intent therapy (i.e., neoadjuvant therapy, adjuvant therapy and/or concurrently with radiotherapy) in combination with surgery

  * At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy
* At least 4 weeks since prior and no more than 1 line of palliative chemotherapy for advanced disease
* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
* At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery and recovered
* No cytochrome 450 3A4 (CYP3A4) active agents or substances for ≥ 7 days before, during, and for ≥ 7 days after completion of study treatment
* No other concurrent investigational agents
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy
* No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients