RATIONALE: AZD2171 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor.

PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well AZD2171 works in treating patients with locally advanced or metastatic liver cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine the 6-month survival of patients with locally advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma treated with AZD2171.

Secondary

• Determine tumor response and time to progression in patients treated with this drug.
• Determine the toxicity of this drug in these patients.
• Correlate biological markers with response in patients treated with this drug.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients receive oral AZD2171 once daily on days 1-28. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients achieving a complete response (CR) receive 2 additional courses beyond CR. Patients experiencing disease progression within 5 years after completion of study treatment may receive additional courses of study treatment.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year and then every 6 months for 4 years.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 20-44 patients will be accrued for this study within 22 months.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma
• Locally advanced or metastatic disease
• Not amenable to treatment with surgery or orthotopic liver transplantation
• Measurable or non-measurable disease
• Measurable disease is defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• Evidence of disease progression by imaging on serial exams or biochemical evidence of a rising alpha fetoprotein on serial testing
• No history of brain metastases other than locally treatable CNS lesions (i.e., lesions treatable with surgery or radiosurgery)
• Patients with locally treatable CNS disease eligible provided they were previously treated and had no evidence of CNS progression for ≥ 4 weeks after completion of treatment
• No fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma or mixed cholangiocarcinoma/hepatocellular carcinoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,200/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST ≤ 5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN

Renal

• Not specified

Cardiovascular

• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No uncontrolled blood pressure, defined as systolic blood pressure > 150 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure > 100 mm Hg

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No history of allergic reaction to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to AZD2171
• No ongoing or active infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study participation
• No other uncontrolled illness

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent immunotherapy
• No colony-stimulating factors during the first course of study treatment

Chemotherapy

• At least 6 weeks since prior chemoembolization
• Patients must have evidence of disease progression or new metastases after prior chemoembolization
• No prior systemic chemotherapy for this cancer
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 6 weeks since prior radiofrequency ablation or other local ablative therapy
• Patients must have evidence of disease progression or new metastases after prior radiofrequency ablation or other local ablative therapy
• No other prior radiotherapy for this cancer
• No prior radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of the bone marrow
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics

Other

• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients