Bevacizumab and Sorafenib as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Liver Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma * Locally advanced or metastatic disease that is not amenable to treatment with surgery or to orthotopic liver transplant * Child Pugh class A or B7 disease * Measurable disease * No mixed cholangiocarcinoma/hepatocellular carcinoma * No current or previously resected brain metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-1 * Life expectancy ≥ 3 months * ANC ≥ 1,200/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm³ * Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * AST ≤ 5 times ULN * Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN * Urine protein ≤ 1+ by urine protein:creatinine ratio OR 24-hour urine protein \< 1 g * QTc interval ≤ 500 msec on baseline EKG * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 2 weeks after sorafenib tosylate and 6 months after bevacizumab * None of the following risk factors for decreased LVEF: * Prior treatment with anthracyclines * History of myocardial infarction within the past 12 months * No uncontrolled hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure \[BP\] \> 150 mm Hg or diastolic BP \> 100 mm Hg) despite optimal medical management * No New York Heart Association class III-IV congestive heart failure * No cardiac ventricular arrhythmias requiring antiarrhythmic therapy * No history of hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy * No ca…