Gossypol Acetic Acid in Treating Patients With Recurrent, Metastatic, or Primary Adrenocortical Cancer That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed adrenocortical carcinoma * Recurrent, metastatic, or primary unresectable disease * Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 lesion accurately measured in ≥ 1 dimension as ≥ 2.0 cm by conventional techniques or ≥ 1.0 cm by spiral CT scan * No adrenocortical tumors that, in the Principal Investigator's opinion, are potentially resectable by surgical excision alone * No symptomatic or progressive brain metastases * Patients with treated brain metastases ≥ 6 months prior to study who are clinically and radiographically stable or improved and are off steroids are eligible * Must undergo an MRI of the brain or CT scan of the head with contrast ≤ 4 weeks prior to study * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0-2 or Karnofsky PS 60-100% * Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks * White blood cell count (WBC) ≥ 3,000/mm3 * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500/mm3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm3 * Total bilirubin \< 1.5 mg/dL * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.7 mg/dL or creatinine clearance ≥ 40 mL/min * Able to take oral medications on a regular basis * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception prior to, during, and for ≥ 1 month after completion of study treatment * No HIV positivity * No uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the following: * Ongoing or active infection * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Unstable angina pectoris * Cardiac arrhythmia * Psychiatric illness or social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements * No condition or disease that significantly affects gastrointestinal (GI) function or impairs the ability to swallow and retain oral medications including, but not limited to, any of the following: * GI tract disease or a requirement for IV alimentation * Prior resection of the stomach or small bowel or surgical procedures affecting absorption * Active peptic ulcer disease * Malabsorption syndrome * Ulcerative colitis * Inflammatory bowel disease * Partial or complete small bowel obstruction * No other malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or in situ cervical cancer * No symptomatic hypercalcemia \> grade 2 * No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to R-(-)-gossypol acetic acid * Fully recovered from prior surgical procedures and recovered to ≤ grade 1 from adverse events due to previous treatments * No prior racemic gossypol or R-(-)-gossypol acetic acid * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy, biologic therapy, major surgery, or radiotherapy (≥ 6 weeks for carmustine or mitomycin C) * Prior and concurrent mitotane and ketoconazole allowed for patients with hormonal excess * More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent treatment with another investigational agent * No concurrent prophylactic use of hematopoietic growth factors (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\], sargramostim \[GM-CSF\], interleukin-11) during the first course of study treatment * Not requiring routine use of platelet transfusions to maintain ANC or platelet count above required thresholds Exclusion Criteria: * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients