Sorafenib in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer That Has Not Responded to Sunitinib or Bevacizumab

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma with a component of clear cell histology

Metastatic disease

Disease progression, as defined by RECIST criteria, after prior treatment with sunitinib malate or bevacizumab

Patients must have received ≥ 1 course (4 weeks) of sunitinib malate or ≥ 2 doses of bevacizumab AND have RECIST-defined objective progression during or within 4 months after completing treatment with sunitinib malate or bevacizumab
Measurable disease by RECIST criteria
CNS metastases allowed provided patient has undergone prior surgery and/or radiotherapy AND has no evidence of further CNS disease progression by CT scan or MRI ≥ 2 weeks after treatment of CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 or Karnofsky PS 70-100%
WBC ≥ 3,000/μL
Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/μL
Platelet count ≥ 75,000/μL
Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
AST/ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
Creatinine ≤ 2.0 times ULN
Negative pregnancy test

No significant cardiovascular disease, including any of the following:

Congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association class III-IV heart disease)
Active angina pectoris requiring nitrate therapy
Uncontrolled dysrhythmias
Cardiovascular event within the past 6 months (e.g., transient ischemic attack/cerebrovascular accident, myocardial infarction, or vascular surgery)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

See Disease Characteristics
At least 2 weeks since prior systemic therapy, radiotherapy, or major surgery and recovered
No prior sorafenib tosylate
No other concurrent investigational agents
No other concurrent anticancer therapy
No concurrent prophylactic growth factors