Sirolimus and Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Liver Cancer That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Meets 1 of the following criteria:

  * Histologically confirmed unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, meeting all of the following criteria:

    * Failed 0-2 lines of chemotherapy
    * Child-Pugh class A or B for liver cirrhosis
    * Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm with conventional techniques or ≥ 10 mm with spiral CT scan
    * No known brain metastases
    * Bone metastases allowed provided other measurable disease is present
  * Healthy participant

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 or Karnofsky PS 70-100%
* Life expectancy \> 3 months
* WBC ≥ 3,000/mm³
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Bilirubin ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT ≤ 5 times ULN
* Creatinine normal
* PTT \< 1.5 times ULN
* Fasting serum cholesterol ≤ 350 mg/dL
* Triglycerides ≤ 300 mg/dL
* Proteinuria \< 2+ by urine dipstick OR urine protein ≤ 1 g by 24-hour urine collection
* No history of allergic reactions to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to sirolimus or bevacizumab
* No prior thromboembolic disease that may result in bleeding or clotting problems related to use of bevacizumab including, but not limited to, the following:

  * Esophageal varices
  * Bleeding disorders
  * Deep vein thromboses
* No history of hematemesis or hemoptysis
* No other uncontrolled illness including, but not limited to, the following:

  * Ongoing or active infection
  * Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  * Unstable angina pectoris
  * Cardiac arrhythmia
  * Psychiatric illness or social situations that would preclude study participation
* No HIV positivity
* Able to take oral medications
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception prior to and during the course of study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 28 days since prior surgery and recovered
* No other concurrent investigational agents
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy
* No concurrent traditional Chinese medicine(s)
* No concurrent long term anticoagulation with heparin or warfarin
* Concurrent prophylactic low-dose acetylsalicylic acid for patients at risk of an arterial thromboembolic event allowed
* Hepatitis B carriers must be on lamivudine during and for 6 months after completion of study treatment