Sorafenib and Interferon Alfa in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Unresectable Kidney Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma which is either metastatic (M1) or unresectable (M0); patients must have a component of conventional clear cell renal carcinoma; patients with true papillary renal cell carcinoma, sarcomatoid features without any clear cell component, chromophobe, oncocytoma, collecting duct tumors and transitional cell carcinoma are NOT eligible * Patients must have measurable disease; soft tissue disease, which has been radiated in the 2 months prior to registration, is not assessable as measurable disease; X-rays, scans, or physical examinations used for tumor measurement must have been completed within 28 days prior to registration; X-rays, scans or physical examinations for non-measureable disease must have been completed within 42 days prior to registration; all disease must be assessed * Patients with metastatic disease who have a resectable primary tumor and are deemed a surgical candidate may have undergone resection and have recovered from surgery; at least 28 days must have elapsed since surgery and patient must have recovered from any adverse effects of surgery * Patients must not have received any prior systemic therapy for renal cell carcinoma, including chemotherapy, interferon, interleukin-2, other biologic response modifiers, anti-angiogenic therapy, hormonal therapy, or any other experimental systemic therapy; prior treatment with thyroid medications is allowed * Patients may have received prior radiation therapy to less than 25% of the bone marrow; at least 28 days must have elapsed since completion of prior radiation therapy; patients must have recovered from all associated toxicities at the time of registration * Total bilirubin =\< institutional upper limit of normal * SGOT or SGPT =\< 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal * Serum creatinine =\< institutional upper limit of normal or calculated creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal * Patients who have had a prior nephrectomy must have a serum creatinine =\< 2 x institutional upper limit of normal * Patients must be offered the opportunity to consent for specimen submission * Patients must have a Zubrod performance status of 0-1 * Patients with a history of brain metastases or who currently have treated to untreated brain metastases are not eligible; patients with clinical suspicion of brain metastases must have a brain CT or MRI negative for metastatic disease obtained within 56 days prior to registration and must not have any new symptoms since radiographic evaluation was done * Any ongoing requirement for systemic corticosteroid therapy is not permitted; topical and/or inhaled steroids are allowed * Patients must not be on drugs known to be potent inhibitors of the CYP 3A4 enzyme as BAY 43-9006 is at least partially metabolized by this enzyme in the liver; the possible effect that inhibitors of this enzyme may have on the metabolism of BAY 43-9006 is unknown; therefore, patients who are on the following drugs are not eligible (patients should not take these drugs while receiving protocol treatment): ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir, products containing grapefruit juice, cyclosporine, carbamazepine, phenytoin and phenobarbital) * Patients must be able to take oral medication without crushing, dissolving or chewing tablets * The effects of BAY 43-9006 on the developing human fetus at the recommended therapeutic dose are unknown; for this reason and because raf kinase inhibitor agents as well as other therapeutic agents used in this trial are known to be teratogenic, patients must not be pregnant or nursing; women/men of reproductive potential must have agreed to use an effective contraceptive method (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 participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately * No other prior malignancy is allowed except for the following: adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer, adequately treated Stage I or II cancer from which the patient is currently in complete remission, or any other cancer from which the patient has been disease-free for 5 years * If Day 28, 42, or 56 falls on a weekend or holiday, the limit may be extended to the next working day * All patients must be informed of the investigational nature of this study and must sign and give written informed consent in accordance with institutional and federal guidelines * At the time of patient registration, the treating institution's name and ID number must be provided to the Data Operations Center in Seattle in order to ensure that the current (within 365 days) date of institutional review board approval for this study has been entered into the database