Sorafenib in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed unresectable melanoma * Stage III or IV disease * Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion \> 20 mm by conventional techniques OR \> 10 mm by spiral CT scan * Disease amenable to biopsy (first 13 patients in each stratum only) * Brain metastases allowed provided the following criteria are met: * Disease has remained radiologically stable for ≥ 6 weeks after completion of whole-brain radiotherapy and remains stable at the time of study entry * No mass effect present by radiology * No requirement for steroid therapy to control symptoms of brain metastases * Performance status - ECOG 0-2 * Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100% * At least 3 months * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * No evidence of bleeding diathesis * AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Bilirubin ≤ 2 times ULN * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN * No uncontrolled hypertension * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No cardiac arrhythmia * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No psychiatric illness that would preclude study compliance * No pre-existing non-hematological dysfunction ≥ grade 2 * No ongoing or active infection * No history of serious allergic reaction to eggs * Able to swallow pills * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or other non-invasive carcinoma * No other uncontrolled illness * Not specified * No prior systemic chemotherapy for metastatic disease * See Disease Characteristics * See Disease Characteristics * No other concurrent investigational agents * No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients * No other concurrent anticancer therapy