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 dise…