Sunitinib in Treating Patients With Brain Metastases Caused by Kidney Cancer or Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed melanoma or renal cell carcinoma

Metastatic brain disease

Must have assessable target intracranial lesion(s), defined as measurable disease ≥ 10 mm in longest diameter that is not appropriate for stereotactic radiosurgery or surgical resection

Lesions previously treated with radiosurgery AND not eligible for resection can only be used as target lesions if there has been true tumor progression on baseline scan (i.e., ≥ 20% increase in longest diameter of lesion) rather than radionecrosis

True progression must be confirmed by PET scan or other corroborating imaging used to distinguish radionecrosis
No leptomeningeal metastases or primary dural metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 OR Karnofsky PS 60-100%
Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
Total leukocyte count ≥ 3,000/mm³
ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
Creatinine ≤ 2.0 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
Calcium ≤ 12.0 mg/dL
AST and ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
PT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

No uncontrolled medical illness including, but not limited to, any of the following:

Hypertension (i.e., blood pressure > 150/100 mm Hg)
Thyroid disease
Severe valvular disease
Severe pulmonary disease
HIV/AIDS
Severe psychiatric illness
No cardiac dysrhythmia ≥ grade 2
No prolonged QTc interval on baseline EKG

No systemic hemorrhage ≥ grade 2 within the past 4 weeks

No CNS hemorrhage ≥ grade 2

Grade 1 (asymptomatic) CNS hemorrhage allowed at investigator's discretion

None of the following within the past 6 months:

Myocardial infarction
Unstable angina
Symptomatic congestive heart failure
Stroke/transient ischemic attack
Pulmonary embolism
Ejection fraction ≥ 50% by baseline echocardiogram OR < 20% decrease in ejection fraction from a prior study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

No prior multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy (e.g., sunitinib malate or sorafenib)
No coronary/peripheral arterial bypass surgery within the past 6 months
More than 4 weeks since prior surgery and recovered
More than 4 weeks since prior and no other concurrent experimental therapy or cytotoxic chemotherapy
More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
More than 2 weeks since prior stereotactic radiosurgery and recovered
More than 7 days since prior and no concurrent drugs that interact with CYP3A4 family, including enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs, warfarin, or Hypericum perforatum extract (St. John's wort)