• Be willing and able to provide written informed consent/assent for the trial

• Have histologically or cytologically-documented diagnosis of advanced (metastatic and/or unresectable) thymic carcinoma, for which no curative treatment (including surgery, radiation, or other) is available

• Have experienced progressive disease after at least one previous regimen of platinum-based chemotherapy. Prior platinum-containing adjuvant, neoadjuvant, or definitive chemoradiation therapy given for locally advanced disease is considered first line therapy only if recurrent (local or metastatic) disease developed within 6 months of completing therapy. Subjects with recurrent disease \< 6 months will be eligible. Patients who have not had prior platinum-based chemotherapy for documented reasons (e.g., refusal or drug supply issues) may be eligible for study entry at the discretion of the sponsor investigator.

• Have measurable disease based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1

• Availability of a recent formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue block; a recently obtained archival FFPE tumor tissue block (if an FFPE tissue block cannot be provided, 15 unstained slides \[10 minimum\] will be acceptable) from a primary or metastatic tumor resection or biopsy can be provided if it was obtained within 3 years of trial screening; patients with tumor specimens older than 3 years may still be eligible if deemed so by study sponsor

• Be willing to provide tissue from an on-treatment fine-needle aspiration (FNA) or core biopsy of a tumor lesion; subjects must consent to on-treatment biopsy prior to initiation of clinical trial, however in subjects for whom newly-obtained samples cannot be provided (e.g. inaccessible or subject safety concern) may still continue on study

• Be willing to provide peripheral blood samples at screening and day 1 of cycle 2 and cycle 3 for correlative studies

• Have a performance status of 0 or 1 on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance scale

• Life expectancy greater than 3 months

• Ability to swallow and retain oral medication

• No evidence of uncontrolled hypertension as documented by 2 baseline blood pressure (BP) readings taken at least 1 hour apart; the baseline systolic BP readings must be =\< 140 mm Hg, and the baseline diastolic BP readings must be =\< 90 mm Hg; use of antihypertensive medications to control BP is allowed

• Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \>= lower limit of normal (LLN) as assessed by either multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan or echocardiogram (ECHO)

• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1,500 /mcL, performed within 28 days of treatment initiation

• Platelets \>= 100,000 / mcL, performed within 28 days of treatment initiation

• Serum creatinine =\< 1.5 X upper limit of normal (ULN) OR measured or calculated creatinine clearance (glomerular filtration rate \[GFR\] can also be used in place of creatinine or CrCl) \>= 60 mL/min for subject with creatinine levels \> 1.5 X institutional ULN, performed within 28 days of treatment initiation

• Serum total bilirubin =\< 1.5 X ULN OR direct bilirubin =\< ULN for subjects with total bilirubin levels \> 1.5 ULN, performed within 28 days of treatment initiation

• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\]) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 2.5 X ULN OR =\< 5 X ULN for subjects with liver metastases, performed within 28 days of treatment initiation

• Albumin \>= 2.5 mg/dL, performed within 28 days of treatment initiation

• International normalized ratio (INR) or prothrombin time (PT) =\< 1.5 X ULN unless subject is receiving anticoagulant therapy as long as PT or partial thromboplastin time (PTT) is within therapeutic range of intended use of anticoagulants, performed within 28 days of treatment initiation

• Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) =\< 1.5 X ULN unless subject is receiving anticoagulant therapy as long as PT or PTT is within therapeutic range of intended use of anticoagulants, performed within 28 days of treatment initiation

• Female subject of childbearing potential should have a negative urine or serum pregnancy within 72 hours prior to receiving the first dose of study medication; if the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum pregnancy test will be required

• Female subjects of childbearing potential must be willing to use an adequate method of contraception for the course of the study through 120 days after the last dose of study medication

⁃ Note: abstinence is acceptable if this is the usual lifestyle and preferred contraception for the subject

• Male subjects of childbearing potential must agree to use an adequate method of contraception starting with the first dose of study therapy through 120 days after the last dose of study therapy

⁃ Note: abstinence is acceptable if this is the usual lifestyle and preferred contraception for the subject