Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed endometrial cancer, including any 1 of the following
subtypes:

- Adenocarcinoma

- Papillary serous

- Papillary

- Villoglandular

- Mucinous

- Clear cell

- Endometrioid

- Adenosquamous carcinoma

- Recurrent or metastatic and/or locally advanced disease

- Incurable disease by standard therapies

- Clinically and/or radiologically documented disease within the past 28 days (35 days
if negative), defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable disease site meeting 1 of
the following criteria:

- At least 20 mm by x-ray or physical exam

- At least 10 mm by spiral CT scan

- At least 20 mm by non-spiral CT scan

- Available tumor tissue (paraffin block or unstained slides) from primary tumor

- No uterine sarcoma (leiomyosarcoma), mixed müllerian tumor (MMT), and/or adenosarcoma

- No known brain metastases

- Clinical suspicion of CNS involvement requires a head CT scan

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-2

- Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks

- Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³

- Bilirubin ≤ upper limit of normal (ULN)

- ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- Creatinine ≤ 1.25 times ULN OR creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

- Fasting serum cholesterol ≤ 9.0 mmol/L

- Fasting triglycerides ≤ 4.56 mmol/L

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- Accessible for treatment and follow up (e.g., 1 ½ hours driving distance from
participating center)

- No upper gastrointestinal or other condition that would impair swallowing or
absorption of oral medication

- No serious illness or medical condition that would not permit the patient to be
managed according to the protocol, including, but not limited to, any of the
following:

- History of significant neurologic or psychiatric disorder (e.g., uncontrolled
psychotic disorders) that would impair the ability to obtain consent or limit
compliance with study requirements

- Active uncontrolled or serious infection

- Active peptic ulcer disease

- Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months, congestive heart failure (even
if medically controlled), unstable angina, active cardiomyopathy, unstable
ventricular arrhythmia, or uncontrolled hypertension

- Pulmonary disease requiring oxygen

- HIV infection or other immune deficiency

- Other medical conditions that might be aggravated by study treatment

- No history of other malignancies, except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer,
curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or other solid tumors curatively
treated with no evidence of disease for ≥ 5 years

- No known hypersensitivity to the study drug or its components

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- At least 7 days since prior hormonal therapy (progestational or aromatase inhibitor)
as either adjuvant therapy or for treatment of metastatic disease

- At least 21 days since prior major surgery and recovered

- At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy and recovered

- Prior low-dose palliative radiotherapy allowed

- At least 4 months since prior adjuvant chemotherapy

- No prior mTOR inhibitors

- No prior or concurrent chemotherapy for metastatic or recurrent disease

- More than 7 days since prior and no concurrent CYP3A4 inhibitors including, but not
limited to, any of the following:

- Azole antifungals (i.e., ketoconazole, itraconazole, miconazole, fluconazole)

- HIV protease inhibitors (i.e., indinavir, saquinavir, ritonavir, atazanavir,
nelfinavir)

- Clarithromycin

- Verapamil

- Erythromycin

- Delavirdine

- Diltiazem

- Nefazodone

- Telithromycin

- More than 12 days since prior and no concurrent CYP3A4 inducers including, but not
limited to, any of the following:

- Rifampin

- Phenytoin

- Rifabutin

- St. John's wort

- Carbamazepine

- Efavirenz

- Phenobarbital

- Tipranavir

- At least 14 days since prior and no concurrent investigational drugs or anticancer
therapy (e.g., immunotherapy, biological response modifiers [excluding hematopoietic
growth factors], and systemic hormonal therapy)

- No concurrent CYP3A4 substrates