A Phase II Trial of Perifosine Following Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) - Failure in Patients With Renal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients will be required to have clear cell renal cell carcinoma with less than 50% of any other histology (papillary or chromophobe or oncocytic). There must be histologic confirmation by the treating center of either the primary or a metastatic lesion * Patients must have experienced disease progression by RECIST criteria while on sorafenib or sunitinib * Patients must be off of sorafenib or sunitinib for \>= 2 weeks prior to initiation of perifosine and \<= 3 months prior to enrollment * Patients may have had sorafenib or sunitinib in the adjuvant setting as long as they have experienced disease recurrence while on therapy * Patients must have measurable disease that is not curable by standard radiation therapy or surgery * Age \>= 18 years * ECOG performance status 0 or 1 * \- Patients must have the ability to understand and willingness to sign a written informed consent document Exclusion Criteria: * History or clinical evidence of CNS disease, including primary brain tumor, seizures not controlled with standard medical therapy, any brain metastasis, or history of stroke * Other than sorafenib or sunitinib, patients may have only had prior immunotherapy for stage IV disease * Patients may have had prior sorafenib OR sunitinib and cannot have been treated with both TKIs * Patients who have stopped sorafenib or sunitinib due to toxicity but have only progressed off therapy will not be allowed * Patients may have had prior anti-angiogenic such as bevacizumab only if given in combination with either sorafenib or sunitinib * Prior Thalidomide or IFNα are allowed for adjuvant therapy or stage IV disease * Patients may not have had prior mTOR inhibitors (CCI-779, RAD001)