Gamma-Secretase Inhibitor RO4929097 in Treating Young Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors, CNS Tumors, Lymphoma, or T-Cell Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed malignancy (at diagnosis or relapse) * Biopsy not required for intrinsic brain stem tumors or optic pathway gliomas * No B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic lymphoma (ALL) or acute myeloid leukemia * No T-cell leukemia with CNS3 disease * Measurable or evaluable disease * Current disease state must be one for which there is no known curative therapy or therapy proven to prolong survival with an acceptable quality of life * Neurologic deficits in patients with CNS tumors must have been relatively stable for 1 week * No active CNS leukemia * Karnofsky performance status (PS) 50-100% (for patients \> 16 years of age) or Lansky PS 50-100% (for patients ≤ 16 years of age) * Patients who are unable to walk because of paralysis,but who are up in a wheelchair, will be considered ambulatory for the purpose of assessing the PS * Patients with solid tumors without bone marrow involvement must meet the following criteria: * Peripheral ANC ≥ 1,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 (transfusion independent, defined as not receiving platelet transfusions within the past 7 days) * Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL (may receive RBC transfusions) * Patients with known bone marrow metastatic disease must meet the above criteria and must not be known to be refractory to red cell or platelet transfusion * Patients with leukemia must meet the following criteria: * Platelet count ≥ 20,000/mm\^3 (may receive platelet transfusions) * Hemoglo…