Simvastatin in Preventing Liver Cancer in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis

Inclusion Criteria: * Confirmed diagnosis of liver cirrhosis assessed by the presence of clinical signs, symptoms, body imaging (ultrasound, computed tomography \[CT\], or magnetic resonance imaging \[MRI\]), or liver biopsy * Age \>= 18 years * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 1 (Karnofsky \>= 70%) * Leukocytes \>= 2,500/microliter * Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/microliter * Platelets \>= 50,000/microliter * Hemoglobin \>= 8 g/dL * Total bilirubin =\< 3 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 5 x institutional ULN * Creatinine =\< 1.5 x institutional ULN * Women who are able to become pregnant must have a confirmed negative pregnancy test result prior to enrollment; women \>= 50 years of age who have not had a menstrual period in the past year; and women who have had a hysterectomy, both ovaries removed, or a tubal ligation; will not be required to have a pregnancy test * The effects of simvastatin on the developing human fetus at the recommended therapeutic dose are unknown; for this reason, women who are able to become pregnant must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participat…