Sorafenib in Treating Patients With Recurrent Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed aggressive\* non-Hodgkin's lymphoma by excisional-node biopsy or core needle biopsy and bone marrow biopsy, including 1 of the following types: * Mantle cell lymphoma * Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma * Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma * Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (T-cell or null-cell type) * Recurrent disease * Patients must have received ≥ 1 induction regimen containing anthracyclines (e.g., CHOP \[with or without rituximab\] or R-EPOCH) * Chemosensitive disease at the time of relapse * Patients who responded with a complete or partial remission that lasted at least 8 weeks after their last chemotherapy regimen are considered chemosensitive * Measurable disease, defined as a lymph node or a nodal mass of \> 1 cm in its longest transverse diameter on CT scan * Ineligible for, refused, or relapsed after stem cell transplant (for patients with non-mantle cell lymphoma) * No known brain metastases, including meningeal involvement * ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 * Karnofsky PS 60-100% * Life expectancy \> 3 months * WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Bilirubin normal * AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal * Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * No uncontrolled illness * No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to sorafenib * No known positive HIV serology * No inflammatory bowel disease * No swallowing dysfunction that would prevent ingestion of pills * No hemorrhagic diathesis * No ongoing or active infection * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No cardiac arrhythmia * No uncontrolled hypertension * No psychiatric or social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements * No poorly controlled medical condition that would seriously complicate compliance with this study * Patients with inflammatory or exfoliative skin disease are excluded (regardless of the extent of the involvement) unless the skin condition is lymphoma related * See Disease Characteristics * Previous treatment-related toxic effects should be resolved to grade 1 or better * No chemotherapy or radiation therapy within the past 4 weeks * 6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C * No prior antibody therapy for at least 3 months * Prior radiation for localized disease or total body irradiation as part of a conditioning regimen prior to stem cell transplant allowed * Prior radio-immunotherapy allowed * No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation * Prophylactic anticoagulation (i.e., low-dose warfarin) of venous or arterial access devices are acceptable provided that the requirements for PT, INR, and PTT are met * No concurrent use of another investigational agent * No concurrent use of the following drugs: phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, rifampin, or Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) * No other concurrent anticancer therapy