Sorafenib in Treating Patients Undergoing Surgery for Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as confirmed by either of the following:

  * Radiographic documentation by MRI or CT scan
  * Histological evidence of primary RCC
* Stage II-IV disease, as defined by any of the following:

  * T \> 7 cm
  * Renal vein involvement
  * Local invasion
  * Evidence of lymph node involvement
  * Distant metastatic disease
* Deemed suitable for nephrectomy by a urologist

  * No requirement for surgery earlier than 4 weeks from study entry
* No known brain metastasis

  * Patients with neurological symptoms must undergo a CT scan or brain MRI to exclude brain metastasis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-1
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
* ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN (≤ 5 times ULN for patients with liver involvement)
* Creatinine ≤ 2.5 times ULN or glomerular filtration rate ≥ 50 mL/min
* INR ≤ 1.5 AND PTT normal

  * Stable INR required at baseline for patients on warfarin
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile women must use effective contraception
* Fertile men must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 2 months after the last dose of sorafenib tosylate
* No other active primary malignancy except skin cancer
* No active coronary artery disease
* No active bleeding diathesis

  * Closely monitored therapeutic anticoagulation allowed
* No cardiac disease, including any of the following:

  * New York Heart Association class III-IV congestive heart failure
  * Unstable angina (i.e., anginal symptoms at rest) or new onset angina (i.e., beginning within the past 3 months)
  * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
* No cardiac ventricular arrhythmias requiring anti-arrhythmic therapy
* No uncontrolled hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) \> 150 mm Hg or diastolic BP \> 90 mm Hg, despite optimal medical management
* No known HIV infection or chronic hepatitis B or C
* No active, clinically serious infection \> grade 2
* No thrombolic or embolic events, such as a cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attacks, within the past 6 months
* No pulmonary hemorrhage or bleeding event ≥ grade 2 within the past 4 weeks (≥ grade 3 for any nonpulmonary hemorrhage or bleeding event)
* No serious nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
* No significant traumatic injury within the past 4 weeks
* No known or suspected allergy to sorafenib tosylate or any agent given in the course of this study
* No condition that impairs the patient's ability to swallow whole pills
* No malabsorption problem

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No major surgery or open biopsy within the past 4 weeks
* Concurrent anticoagulation therapy (e.g., warfarin or heparin) allowed
* No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies for RCC
* No concurrent Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) or rifampin