Sorafenib in Treating Patients With Ovarian Epithelial Cancer, Fallopian Tube Cancer, or Peritoneal Cancer in at Least the Second Remission

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed epithelial carcinoma arising in the ovary, fallopian tube, or peritoneum

  * Any stage and grade at diagnosis
* Must have received initial cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy with ≥ 1 platinum-based chemotherapy regimen

  * Persistent or recurrent disease after initial therapy
* In complete clinical remission after chemotherapy for recurrent disease, meeting all of the following criteria:

  * CA125 ≤ 35 units/L
  * Normal physical examination
  * No definite evidence of disease by CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis

    * Lymph nodes and/or soft tissue abnormalities ≤ 1.0 cm are not considered definite evidence of disease
* No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

* Karnofsky performance status 70-100%
* Life expectancy \> 3 months
* ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
* INR \< 1.5 OR PT/PTT within normal limits
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Urinalysis negative for protein

  * If urinalysis shows 1+ protein by dipstick or protein ≥ 30-100 mg/dL by semi-quantitative assay, a 24-hour urine collection is required

    * Eligible patients must have a total urinary protein ≤ 500 mg AND measured creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min from a 24-hour urine collection
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Stable blood pressure (BP) measurement required on 3 separate days prior to the start of treatment
* No peripheral neuropathy \> grade 1
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

Exclusion criteria:

* Other invasive malignancies within the past 5 years, except nonmelanoma skin cancer
* Uncontrolled concurrent illness or medical condition including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Ongoing or active infection
  * Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  * Unstable angina pectoris
  * Cardiac arrhythmia
  * Uncontrolled diabetes
* Psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
* Uncontrolled hypertension defined as a persistent BP \> 150/100 mm Hg (or a persistent BP \> 180/90 mm Hg if the patient has a history of isolated systolic hypertension) despite ≥ 2 attempts at antihypertensive medication dosage adjustment ≥ 2 weeks apart
* Thrombolic or embolic events such as cerebrovascular accident, including transient ischemic attack, within the past 6 months
* Pulmonary hemorrhage or bleeding event ≥ grade 2 within 4 weeks of the first dose of study drug
* Other hemorrhage or bleeding event ≥ grade 3 within 4 weeks of the first dose of study drug
* Serious nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
* Evidence or history of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
* Inability to take oral medications or gastrointestinal condition that compromises absorption
* History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to sorafenib tosylate

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Inclusion criteria:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior sorafenib tosylate or other inhibitors of MAPK signaling intermediates or angiogenesis inhibitors
* No prior cancer treatment that would contraindicate protocol therapy
* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
* More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy, biological therapy, or immunotherapy
* More than 1 week since prior hormonal therapy for cancer treatment

Exclusion criteria:

* Major surgery (i.e., laparotomy) within the past 4 weeks or minor surgery within the past 2 weeks

  * Placement of a vascular access device is not considered minor surgery
* Concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
* Concurrent St. John wort, rifampin, or enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants (e.g., carbamazepine, phenytoin, or phenobarbital)