Cisplatin or Carboplatin and Sorafenib in Treating Patients With Liver Cancer That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) OR serum alpha fetoprotein ≥ 400 ng/mL with radiological evidence suggestive of HCC

  * Unresectable disease
* Child-Pugh class A or selected Child-Pugh class B disease (Child-Pugh score ≤ 7 points)

  * No Child-Pugh class C disease
* No disease outside the liver or macroscopic invasion of the major vessels such as the portal vein
* No known brain metastasis

  * Patients with neurological symptoms must undergo CT scan or MRI of the brain

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-1
* WBC ≥ 3,000/mm³ (for patients scheduled to receive carboplatin) or ≥ 2,000/mm³ (for patients scheduled to receive cisplatin)
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ (for patients scheduled to receive carboplatin) or ≥ 60,000/mm³ (for patients scheduled to receive cisplatin)
* Serum creatinine ≤ 1.9 mg/dL (for patients scheduled to receive carboplatin) or ≤ 1.5 mg/dL (for patients scheduled to receive cisplatin)
* Serum total bilirubin ≤ 3 mg/dL
* AST and ALT \< 5 times upper limit of normal
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 3 months after completion of study treatment
* No cardiac disease, including any of the following:

  * NYHA class III-IV congestive heart failure
  * Unstable angina (anginal symptoms at rest)
  * New onset of angina within the past 3 months
  * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  * Cardiac ventricular arrhythmias requiring anti-arrhythmic therapy
* No uncontrolled hypertension, defined as systolic BP \> 150 mm Hg or diastolic BP \> 90 mm Hg, despite optimal medical management
* No thrombolic or embolic events (e.g., cerebrovascular accident, including transient ischemic attacks) within the past 6 months
* No pulmonary hemorrhage/bleeding event ≥ CTCAE grade 2 within the past 4 weeks
* No other hemorrhage/bleeding event ≥ CTCAE grade 3 within the past 4 weeks
* No evidence or history of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
* No evidence of encephalopathy
* No condition that would impair the ability to swallow whole pills
* No history of malabsorption problems
* No significant traumatic injury within the past 4 weeks
* No serious non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
* No active clinically serious infection
* No known HIV infection
* No known or suspected allergy to sorafenib tosylate or any other study agent

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior cisplatin, carboplatin, or sorafenib tosylate
* No prior systemic chemotherapy for HCC
* No other prior systemic or locoregional therapy
* More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery or open biopsy
* No concurrent St. John's wort or rifampin