Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Unresectable Nonmetastatic Liver Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma * Confirmed by needle aspirate, biopsy, or prior surgical resection specimen * Clinically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma defined as follows: * Cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis B or C virus infection, with 1 or more hypervascular liver masses more than 2 cm * Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) greater than 400 ng/mL OR greater than 3 times normal and doubling in value during the past 3 months * Deemed unresectable * Prior surgical resection allowed * Recurrence after hepatic resection or other procedure allowed * Tumor that extends into branches of the portal or hepatic veins allowed * No tumor invading the main portal vein (portal trunk) or inferior vena cava * No tumor occupying more than 50% of the liver volume * Enlargement/involvement of regional lymph nodes allowed * At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion at least 20 mm * No poorly defined lesions * No vague hypervascular patches * Child-Pugh class A or compensated Child-Pugh class B liver dysfunction * No Child-Pugh class C or uncompensated class B indicated by active encephalopathy, persistent ascites, or prothrombin time greater than 1.5 times normal * Prior ascites allowed if manageable with diuretics alone * No repeated paracentesis (more than 1 per month) * No extrahepatic metastasis * No documented brain metastases * No history or clinical evidence of CNS disease (e.g., primary brain tumor, seizures uncontrolled with standard medical therapy, or history of stroke) * Performance status - ECOG 0-2 * Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL * Platelet count at least 75,000/mm\^3 * No prior serious bleeding event (unrelated to liver disease) * No bleeding diathesis * No coagulopathy * Bilirubin no greater than 3 mg/dL * Transaminases less than 5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Albumin at least 2.5 mg/dL * PTT less than 4 seconds above ULN * INR less than 1.5 (for patients receiving warfarin) * Creatinine less than 1.5 g/dL * Urine protein less than 500 mg/24hrs\* Exclusion criteria: * No thromboembolic event within the past 12 months * No clinically significant cardiovascular disease * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No active infection requiring parenteral antibiotics * No serious non-healing wound/ulcer or bone fracture * No variceal bleeding within the past 6 months * No malignancy within the past 5 years except localized nonmelanoma skin cancer * No ongoing psychiatric or social situation that would preclude study compliance * No known hypersensitivity to Chinese hamster ovary cell products * No known hypersensitivity to other recombinant human antibodies * No more than 1 prior biologic therapy * No concurrent interferon * No concurrent interleukin-2 * No more than 1 prior antineoplastic chemotherapy * At least 4 weeks since prior invasive surgery, including open biopsy * At least 2 weeks since prior needle biopsy (core or fine-needle aspirate) * No concurrent hepatic transplant * At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer therapy * No concurrent platelet-stimulating factors (e.g., oprelvekin) * No concurrent full-dose anticoagulants or thrombolytic agents (except as required to maintain patency of pre-existing, permanent indwelling IV catheters) * No chronic daily antiplatelet drugs (e.g., aspirin doses of 325 mg/day or higher or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)