Sorafenib Combined With Cisplatin and Etoposide or Carboplatin and Pemetrexed in Treating Patients With Metastatic Solid Tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic solid tumor

  * Disease progressed during at least one standard therapy OR has a disease for which there is no standard therapy
* No squamous cell carcinoma of the lung
* Asymptomatic brain metastases allowed provided both of the following criteria are met:

  * Brain metastases were treated ≥ 6 months ago
  * Brain metastases are clinically stable without steroid treatment for 1 week
* No clinically relevant pleural effusions or ascites that cannot be controlled by drainage (group 2)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-1
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
* ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* INR \< 1.5 or PT/PTT normal
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min
* Negative serum pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 2 weeks after completion of study treatment
* No New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure
* No unstable angina (anginal symptoms at rest) or new onset angina (within the past 3 months)
* No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
* No cardiac ventricular arrhythmias requiring anti-arrhythmic therapy
* No uncontrolled hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure \> 150 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure \> 90 mm Hg, despite optimal medical management
* No known severe hypersensitivity to sorafenib tosylate or any its excipients, etoposide, pemetrexed disodium, cisplatin, or carboplatin
* No known HIV infection
* No chronic hepatitis B or C
* No active clinically serious infection \> CTCAE grade 2
* No thrombotic or embolic events, such as cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attacks, within the past 6 months
* No pulmonary hemorrhage or bleeding event ≥ CTCAE grade 2 within the past 4 weeks
* No other hemorrhage or bleeding event ≥ CTCAE grade 3 within the past 4 weeks
* No serious non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
* No evidence or history of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
* No condition that impairs the patient's ability to swallow whole pills
* No malabsorption problem, uncontrolled inflammatory bowel disease, or gastrointestinal disorder causing ≥ 5 bowel movements in a 24-hour period
* No significant traumatic injury within the past 4 weeks
* Able to take vitamin B12 supplementation and folic acid (group 2)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery or open biopsy
* No more than 3 prior cytotoxic therapies for metastatic disease
* No concurrent St. John's wort or rifampin
* No non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for 2 days before (5 days for long-acting NSAIDs), during, and for 2 days after pemetrexed disodium administration (group 2)
* Concurrent anticoagulation treatment with warfarin or heparin allowed