S0509 - AZD2171 in Treating Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically confirmed epithelial, sarcomatous, or biphasic malignant pleural mesothelioma

  * Unresectable disease

    * Residual disease after prior cytoreductive surgery allowed
* Measurable disease by CT scan or MRI
* Prior treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy required
* No known CNS metastasis
* Performance status

  * Zubrod 0-2
* WBC \>= 3,000/mm\^3
* Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count \>= 100,000/mm\^3
* AST or ALT =\< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Bilirubin normal
* Creatinine =\< 1.5 times ULN OR
* Creatinine clearance \>= 50 mL/min
* Proteinuria =\< 1+ by 2 consecutive dipstick tests taken \>= 1 week apart
* No history of familial long QT syndrome
* Mean QTc =\< 470 msec
* Systolic BP =\< 150 mm Hg AND diastolic BP =\< 100 mm Hg
* Must have New York Heart Association class I or II disease

  * Class II must be controlled with treatment
* Able to swallow and/or receive enteral medications via gastrostomy feeding tube
* Not requiring IV alimentation
* No active peptic ulcer
* No intractable nausea or vomiting
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated stage I or II cancer in remission
* No history of hypersensitivity reaction to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to the study drug
* Prior monoclonal antibody therapy targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor 1(VEGFR1) or VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) allowed
* No other prior immunotherapy or biologic therapy
* No prior thymidine kinase inhibitor against VEGFR1 or VEGFR2
* No concurrent drugs or biologics with proarrhythmic potential
* No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen
* At least 28 days since prior chemotherapy (42 days for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
* At least 21 days since prior radiotherapy and recovered
* At least 28 days since prior major surgery (e.g., thoracotomy or laparotomy) and recovered
* No prior surgery that would affect absorption
* Stable antihypertensive therapy allowed provided blood pressure (BP) parameters are met
* Concurrent enrollment on SWOG-S9925 allowed
* No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients