Phase I Study of Surface-Controlled Water Soluble Curcumin (THERACURMIN CR-011L)

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients must have an advanced malignancy that has either failed one or more prior therapies, or for which there is no established standard of care therapy that improves survival by at least 3 months. If standard therapies are available, the informed consent states that patients are forgoing approved therapies proven to prolong life or the time that the patient is alive without growth of their cancer.
2. Patients must have an ECOG performance status of 3 or better (0-3).
3. Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below: Absolute neutrophil count > 1,000 /uL Platelets > 50,000 /uL Total bilirubin </= 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) (except patients with Gilbert's syndrome, who must have a total bilirubin < 3.0 mg/dL) and ALT </= 3 x ULN, Creatinine </= 1.5 x ULN or creatinine clearance >/= 40 ml/min
4. Patients must be able to understand and be willing to sign an IRB-approved written informed consent document.
5. Women of child-bearing potential (women who are not postmenopausal for at least one year or are not surgically sterile) and men must agree to use adequate contraception (e.g., barrier device) prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation, and for 30 days after the last dose.
6. Patients may receive palliative radiation therapy immediately before or during the treatment if the radiation therapy is not delivered to the sole target lesions.
7. Men and women aged >/= 18 years. However, patients who are 13 years or older will be eligible after consultation with their pediatric attending.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, symptomatic congestive heart failure (NYHA Class III or IV), unstable angina pectoris, active bleeding that requires hospitalization, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
2. Subject that has not recovered from major surgical procedure, open biopsy, or significant traumatic injury (i.e. subject still needs additional medical care for these issues).
3. History of gastric or duodenal ulcers, or hyperacidity syndromes.
4. History of allergic reactions to the study drug or its analogs.
5. Patient that has received any treatment for tumor specific control within 3 weeks of the start of study drug with investigational drugs and cytotoxic agents, or within 2 weeks of cytotoxic agent given weekly, or within 6 weeks of nitrosoureas or mitomycin C, or within 5 half-lives of biological targeted agents with half-lives and pharmacodynamic effects lasting less than 5 days (that includes, but is not limited to, erlotinib, sorafenib, sunitinib, bortezomib, and other similar agents).
6. Currently taking therapeutic doses of anticoagulants such as warfarin or antiplatelet agents (any prophylaxis agents are acceptable).
7. INR > 1.5
8. Biliary obstruction or cholelithiasis.
9. Inability to take oral medication (PEG tube is acceptable).
10. Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
11. Concurrent enrollment on another therapeutic research study.