Cediranib Maleate in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Liver Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* 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
* Performance status - ECOG 0-1
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,200/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL
* Bilirubin ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST ≤ 5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN
* Urine protein \< 1+ by urine dip stick OR proteinuria \< 1 gm/24-hour collection
* QTc prolongation ≤ 500 msec
* 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
* No significant ECG abnormality within the past 14 days
* No New York Heart Association class III or IV disease
* 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
* 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
* 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
* More than 4 weeks since prior hormonal therapy
* 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 prior external beam radiotherapy to the primary site
* No prior radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of the bone marrow
* No concurrent radiotherapy
* See Disease Characteristics
* No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
* No concurrent drugs or biologics with proarrhythmic potential