Sorafenib With or Without Gemcitabine and Oxaliplatin in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced, Unresectable, or Metastatic Liver Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma not amenable to liver transplantation

  * Locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic disease
* At least 1 lesion accurately measured in ≥ 1 dimension according to RECIST criteria AND has not been previously treated with local therapy (e.g., intra-arterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, percutaneous ethanol injection, or cryoablation)

  * No presence of bone metastasis only
* No known brain metastasis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* WHO performance status 0-1
* Life expectancy \> 12 weeks
* ANC \> 1,500/mm\^3
* WBC \> 3,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 90,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin \> 10 g/dL
* Total protein ≥ 40%
* ALT or AST ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* Amylase and lipase \< 1.5 times ULN
* Creatinine \< 1.5 times ULN
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
* Albumin ≥ 2.8 mg/dL
* INR ≤ 2.3
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during study and for up to 4 months for females and 6 months for males after completion of study treatment
* CLIP score 0-3
* No Child Pugh score B or C cirrhosis
* No known HIV positivity
* No other prior malignancy, except adequately treated or curative basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
* No known or suspected allergy to the investigational agent or any agent given in association with this study
* No cardiovascular disease, including any of the following:

  * Cardiac arrhythmia requiring antiarrhythmic therapy, except beta-blockers or digoxin for chronic atrial fibrillation
  * Active coronary artery disease or ischemia
  * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  * NYHA class II-IV congestive heart failure
* No uncontrolled hypertension
* No severe active bacterial or fungal infection \> CTCAE v3.0 grade 2
* No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
* No condition that could affect the absorption of study drug, including any of the following:

  * Malabsorption syndrome
  * Disease significantly affecting gastrointestinal function
  * Bowel obstruction or sub-obstruction
* No dysphagia or inability to swallow tablets
* No history of seizures requiring long-term antiepileptic treatment
* No unstable condition that would jeopardize safety or compliance with study including any of the following :

  * Medical, psychological, or social conditions
  * Substance abuse
  * Legal incapacity or limited legal capacity
* No psychological, familial, social, or geographic reasons that would preclude clinical follow-up
* Must be registered in a social security program

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior organ transplantation with immunosuppressive treatment
* No prior systemic chemotherapy or systemic antiangiogenic treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma
* No prior major resection of the stomach or proximal small bowel
* Prior anticoagulation therapy (e.g., warfarin or heparin) allowed with INR parameters within normal limit range
* At least 4 weeks since prior local therapy to lesions and treated lesions may not be selected as target lesions
* No concurrent or prior long-term treatment with CYP3A4 inducers (e.g., rifampin, hypericum perforatum, phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and dexamethasone)
* No concurrent antitumoral treatment, including tamoxifen, interferon, or somatostatin analogues
* No other concurrent experimental drugs or anticancer therapy